Tips To Prepare Your Kindy Kid For Their First Day At Early School
Starting kindergarten can be a time of uncertainty and change for young children and their families, but there are plenty of things that parents and caregivers can do to minimise stress levels, ease separation anxiety and make starting school an exciting and positive experience.
Consider the origins of the word ‘kindergarten’.
The term dates back to a 19th century educator, Friedrich Froebel, who is widely acknowledged as the founder of kindergarten and who coined the term to symbolise his vision for early childhood education. He believed children were like tiny flowers, varied and needing care, but each beautiful alone and glorious when seen in the community of peers.
Kindergarten can also be seen as a place of wonder, exploration and discovery for children – like a real-life garden. Kindy can – and should – be an engaging, wonderful, fun, happy and safe space where children are cherished, stimulated and encouraged to grow, develop and learn.
To help you sow the seeds for your little one to flourish, here are some tips to prepare your kindy kid for their first day at school.
Tips for parents when their child is starting kindy
It’s completely normal for both the child and the parent to feel daunted by the prospect of starting kindy. It’s a big change and it’s OK to feel a bit concerned and uncertain. It’s important to remember though, that children mirror adult behaviour and so you need to stay calm and collected and let your child see and feel that you are relaxed, confident and excited (even if your emotions are running riot inside!)
Your child will be looking to you for cues and reassurance – so have a read through these ideas to help ease their worries about taking the next step and help them adjust to the new environment.
What to do before starting kindy
Introduce the idea of kindy. Chat to your child about all the positives about going to kindy (new friends, heaps of fun, lots of exciting activities and experiences, the ability to do what they’re interested in etc), and what the child can expect during a typical day at kindy. Use positive language and acknowledge any fears or uncertainty they may be feeling.
Read heart-warming books with your child about kindy which portray the joy and fun of the experience. Two good examples are Clifford Goes to Kindergarten by Norman Bridwell and Off to Kindergarten by Tony Johnston. Benjamin Comes Back by Amy Brandt is another good book which deals with separation anxiety. Your local library will have lots of suggestions too.
Visit the childcare centre. It’s really beneficial to visit the centre with the child before starting kindy. This will enable them to see the new environment, familiarise themselves with the surroundings, meet some of the team who will be taking care of them and feel reassured about settling into the new routine. We welcome you to book a tour of one of our Treasured Tots childcare centres to help your child make a smooth transition to kindy.
Create a ‘happy book’ with your child. Cut out pictures of smiley faces, animals, family photos etc and stick them into the ‘book’ – which the child can then take to kindy and look at if they’re feeling sad.
If possible, try and arrange a play date with another child who will also be starting kindy on the same day. A ready-made friend can be a big help settling into the new environment.
Discuss a plan with your child as to how to deal with any uncomfortable feelings they may feel in the early days of kindy. Reassure them they can go to the teacher, read a book, find a quiet place to breathe deeply etc.
You may find this article on 10 things to do before sending your child to childcare helpful as you prepare your little one to start kindy.
On the first day of kindy
Let your child choose a special object to take with them (a soft toy, favourite book, cuddly blanket or something familiar from home) can help with the transition.
A good way to keep a sense of connectedness when the child is in the new school environment is for both parent and child to keep a small object in their pockets. These could be anything from a small pebble to a little plastic animal. If your child feels worried at school for any reason, they can just touch that object and feel connected to you.
Let your child choose what they want to wear to kindy. This can help them feel empowered and in control of their bodies.
Create a consistent and predictable drop-off and farewell routine. Don’t be tempted to sneak away without saying goodbye as this may fuel a child’s anxiety about being abandoned, but make your farewells loving and heartfelt. Importantly, make the goodbyes brief! Having the same routine everyday will make leaving easier for everyone.
Don’t be late. Being rushed can exacerbate any feelings of worry or stress, and it’s actually beneficial to arrive a little early. This will give you time to calmly settle your little one into kindy.
Be excited and engaged when you fetch them! Listen to their stories and focus on the positives of this significant achievement.
A last word on starting kindy
We’ve had decades of experience welcoming little ones to our kindy programme at Treasured Tots and we can reassure you that your child will settle.
Each three-year old is different and each one settles in their own way and in their own time – but you can have complete confidence that with the caring support and guidance of our qualified educators, our carefully planned curriculum and daily routine and our welcoming ‘home-from-home’ spaces, you and your little one will thrive at Treasured Tots. If you are investigating early learning centres in Perth, we welcome you to get in touch with Treasured Tots. We have seven childcare centres in Mandurah, Bibra Lake, Fremantle, Piara Waters, Hamersley, Bennett Springs and Bicton which provide high-quality childcare and kindergarten programmes for children between the ages of 0 and 5 and we’d love to show you around one of our ‘homes away from home’.