You decide to return to work and send your child to kindergarten. Whether you are separated after just six months, a year or two, it will surely be an emotional experience, not only for your child but for you as well. Prepare well for this moment!
How to prepare your child for kindergarten?
Start preparing a few weeks before returning to work. It is definitely not a good idea to combine your first day at kindergarten with the day you go to work. Most children do not want to leave their parents on the first day. Even if you give yourself an extra hour or two, your little one won’t have to adjust to it. It is good for the child to have time to calm down and, for example, become interested in playing with children.
If you are anxious, anxious and check your watch from time to time, you will create a nervous atmosphere, and your child will feel it better than a hunting dog and share your emotions.
Let your child decide for himself whether he wants to stay in kindergarten for the first time.
It is better to gradually increase the time you leave in the nursery. Start at an hour or two and watch your little one go through the separation. Later, ask the nanny how the child behaved in the room: was he crying, depressed, or maybe he was playing with the children and looking for contact.
Based on your progress, you will be able to estimate how long it will take for your child to adapt, and your return to work will depend on it. It should be borne in mind that a child who is still protected from germs at home may first become infected with viruses before becoming immune, and will spend more time on treatment at home than in a nursery.
When planning to send your toddler to kindergarten, it is worth considering the additional protection provided by vaccinations. Kindergarten is a place where the risk of “contracting” infectious disease is much higher than average, so in addition to mandatory vaccinations, consider additional vaccinations, primarily against rotaviruses, chickenpox, and meningococci.
1. Introduce your child to the caregivers.
Before you decide to leave the child in the nursery, it is worth visiting this place several times during a walk and introducing the child to the future caregiver, exchanging a few words so that the child does not feel that he is staying with someone completely unfamiliar. Check to see if your chosen kindergarten will have open days soon, so you have more time to talk and get to know the place.
2. Train your habits.
A few weeks before your scheduled daycare debut, check out the day’s schedule. Pay close attention to nap time and start teaching your child. When he completely misses the time to sleep at home, it is worth slowly postponing this time to bring him closer to the arrangement of the kindergarten. Changing the walking time may be helpful for this. However, if your toddler is awake during the day, it’s worth finding out while the other babies are sleeping.
Also, check the menu. Compare how much the food you serve matches what you serve your child at home. You may need to include new items on the home menu so that you don’t have to worry about your child not eating anything in kindergarten.
3. Give your child time for himself.
At home, don’t be your child’s regular animator. Give him a chance to take care of himself for a while and try to play on his own. In this way, you will make it easier for him to be in kindergarten because the presence of his mother will not be a prerequisite for the game. I guarantee this is a reliable way! In the same way, you will contribute to the overall development of your child. Self-inventing games or new uses for toys awaken creativity.
4. Create opportunities for communication with peers.
The child in the nursery spends most of the time playing in the group. Give them a chance to play with peers before sending them to class. At home, the baby has all the toys, only for himself, as well as all the attention of the mother. In a group, he will have to get used to the fact that children can tear each other’s toys, pester and show different temperaments.
If there are no peers in the family or among friends, cafés for moms offering activities for toddlers will help. Go there several times to get your little one used to more space, company, and noise.
A child in kindergarten – how to get over a difficult breakup?
The first days in kindergarten are likely to be a difficult emotional test for you and your baby. A common scenario is a toddler in crocodile tears clinging to his mother’s neck. On the other hand, there is a mother who is convinced that she is hurting her child by tearing him apart, fighting back tears. To overcome this situation, it is worth remembering that the decision to go to kindergarten is in your child’s best interests.
You are not doing this to make up for imperfections at home and paint your nails. In kindergarten, the baby has professional care and a whole group of new friends and colleagues. Both of you will benefit from this: your child will learn many new skills and appreciate you more when it turns out that your presence, which he took for granted, will be limited.
Therefore, when you go to kindergarten with your child, do not prolong the gap. Give me a hug, let me know when you come back, and leave. Firmness is necessary because the moment you hesitate will make your little one even more anxious and feel your fears. If despite the fact that several days have passed, the baby still does not want to tear himself away from you, it is worth attracting a dad to accompany him – usually, children react better to separation.