You can’t quite know how your child will react to kindergarten and what it will mean to their development. Until you leave your child on the very first day and see their reaction, you won’t understand what this new chapter will bring to your family and your child as an individual. There aren’t any signs that will show you in advance what you can expect. Every child is different and there are many factors that affect their first reaction. Even if your child likes playing with friends and children at the playground with no fear of new and strange people, that doesn’t mean that they won’t cry or decide that they don’t want to go in once you arrive at the kindergarten.
How to say goodbye
This is probably the hardest thing to do as a parent and you’ll probably remember this goodbye for the rest of your life. Children tend to have different fears of separation and they tend to cry, scream, lie on the floor, or hold tight to their parents. You’ll quickly fall into this circle of trying to go and leave your child with their teacher, but you need to understand that this is all just a clever manipulation and nothing else. It may sound harsh, but that’s the truth – your child knows that you’ll hug them and console them, and that gives them time to stay with you for a while. Instead, make your goodbyes short and practice them before the first day of kindergarten. Go to the store and leave your child with your spouse, and say a quick goodbye before going out. By doing this before you start leaving your child at kindergarten, you’ll do this without too much fuss once the time comes.
Show them that you feel comfortable
Your child will feel more comfortable if they see that you’re comfortable as well and familiar with the space. Before the first day, go to the kindergarten to do that and learn a few things in advance. Talk to the teachers, explain to them why that’s important to you, and ask them for some additional advice. Once you and your child arrive at the kindergarten, talk about different things you notice – drawings, pictures, the layout, and the outdoor space where they’ll play. This will show them how this new space is welcoming and pleasant and they’ll start feeling better once they see how you like being there. SHow them different things and point out what you sav the previous day so your child could remember feeling great at the place.
Pick the best place
There are some kindergartens that offer a different and unique approach to the early stages of education. If you look at a few different places, you’ll see how their curriculum is different and how they use different methods, and that makes it easy to find a kindergarten that offers a better approach and modern techniques. If you enroll your child in one of the best childcare services, you’ll notice that they foster the development of different skills in children, such as becoming the best individuals possible and acquiring positive lifelong habits. You need to choose a kindergarten carefully because this is the first step in your child’s education and you want to make sure that those first steps will be the best base for later years.
Create a routine
Children feel better and behave more nicely when they have a routine and when they know what to expect. A few weeks ahead of starting this new chapter, adjust their bedtime and try to stick to a routine of preparing for bed and reading a book. This will create a safe and familiar space for your child and allow you to make the transition more easily. Make sure to set aside time for taking your child to kindergarten until all of the fears are gone. You’ll see how they quickly adapt and start liking this new chapter in their life.
Talk to your child
Due to their busy schedule, parents often forget to take a break and talk to their children. You can learn a lot if you ask simple questions and allow your child to express their needs and thoughts. Try to navigate the conversation so that your child feels safe to say anything that’s on their mind. Don’t push them too much because children could feel ambushed if you start questioning them when they don’t feel like talking. Ask your children about their fears of kindergarten and the new routine, and encourage them to tell you how you can work to overcome those fears.
You just need to be patient and understand your child’s needs before assuming that they’re making stuff up. Children have a fear of unknown things and we don’t know how they’ll react until we put them in a new situation, so do as much as you can in order to help them fall in love with their new kindergarten.
