A leading education and childcare provider says families need to be patient with their children as they adapt to “new normals” over the next few weeks.
While the back-to-work rush is on in earnest, from next week many families will be settling children into childcare or transitioning them from childcare to school.
To help with this process, Guardian Childcare and Education experts have compiled some tips to help make the transition less stressful for parents and children.
The Guardian team says that new routines take time and patience for the whole family.
Tips for a smooth transition:
- Chat about the changes to your child’s routine – they may be able to let you know what they are enjoying, or they may have questions. The “new normal” as they get settled into the year can create a whole mix of emotions.
- As families know, being patient and supportive always goes a long way with children. It takes time to adjust to a new routine, so words of support and encouragement will never go astray.
- Let them take charge. If your child is interested, they may like to have some new responsibilities like choosing their outfit for the day or packing their own bag (or maybe just their water bottle).
- Get excited. When families show their child that they are positive and excited about new learning spaces, new teachers and friends, this can be contagious.
What to expect from the first week at childcare
- During orientation and the first week at childcare, educators make it a priority to learn as much as possible about each child’s individual routine.
- This is important for educators to understand what your child is interested in, when they eat, when they sleep, whether they have a comforter, what scares them, how to settle them and what they enjoy doing most.
- While the first day can be filled with big emotions for both parents and children, Centre Managers should encourage each parent to stay with their child for around 15 minutes on the first day, with a familiar face (usually someone from your child’s orientation) taking over from there.
- Educators should call you to give updates on your child’s progress during their first day, with phone calls continuing each week during the settling-in period, which can sometimes last six to eight weeks, or as long as a family requires.
- If a centre has a chef or cook, they should encourage parents to share all dietary requirements and preferences for their child, as all of these things can be incorporated throughout the day, in accordance with nutritional guidelines, to support growth and development.
Tips to help your child transition from childcare to school
- Incorporate literacy and numeracy learning in your home routine. Encourage your child to talk about the things that interest them. Other ideas include: looking at junk mail and discussing the products that are for sale, playing vocabulary games together, counting items together, make comparisons and discuss the different sizes of items. For example, “Which one is the biggest, which is smaller?”.
- Read familiar texts with rhyme, rhythm and repetition. Make time to read together every day. Encourage your child to discuss the different ideas and themes within the books, as this will help them to develop their comprehension.
- Work with your child to develop his or her communication skills. Ask plenty of questions, encourage your child to share their ideas and support them to use increasingly rich and complex language. Can they elaborate on what they are telling you, can you give them more complex and descriptive words to use?
- Encourage your child to be independent. Encourage them to dress themselves, pack their belongings away, look after their own hygiene practices, open their own food (such as yoghurt pots or wrapped sandwiches) and so on. Giving your child these small responsibilities allow them to practice and become confident in their own abilities.
- Familiarise your child with the school environment and routine. Have a number of conversations with your child about what a school day looks like. You can visit the school’s website and discuss the images of what children are doing, the teachers, and the uniforms. This helps to build familiarity for your child during the transition.
- Practice following simple instructions. Even though they follow all sorts of instructions both at home and in care, it is worth sitting down with your child and explaining why they need to follow instructions. Run through a few scenarios that they might come across at school. This way, they are prepared for what to do, and understand what consequences they may face if they don’t follow the teacher’s instructions.
