Beginnings, or how to approach kindergarten adaptation
New place. New people: big and small. New customs. New rhythm of the day. New
Noises, tastes and smells. New objects. Many of them intriguing and enticing.
Whenever the need for security („I am safe in this place and with these
people”) will be satisfied, a strong child's need for exploration and
Development.
As child psychologist Anita Janeczek-Romanowska writes, „The goal of adaptation is to
Gradually establish contact and build trust with adults who on these
several hours are to take over the care of the child. This contact and trust is about
parents, but also, and perhaps most importantly, children. Pass from under the wings of a parent,
Under the wings of a teacher. As safely as possible and with the conviction that no
It is already a complete stranger to me (the child). If adults do everything for it
space, the chance that this contact will become the prelude to a relationship increases.
A relationship in which I get to know someone my parents trusted. To whom they gave me away
Under care, not who took me by force and in a hurry. See - my parents gave me away
taken care of, no one snatched me from them.”
We know that we get very informed parents, committed, supportive parents.
Together, we will surely be able to guide the children through this life change with
benefit to them. Some children will adapt surprisingly quickly, others will
required more time, patience and understanding. Some will have temporary
crises after every weekend or extended break. This is mainly a matter of
temperament and innate sensitivity.
We have put together some ideas that should get us all through this challenging time
time to help. Remembering that you are the one who knows your own child and his or her needs best, and
That there are no magic ways, spells and formulas that cause express and
comfortable adaptation for all, we want to share with you our
thoughts on good adaptation practices. We are also open to
Your requests and suggestions.
For our part, we suggest:
- If your child needs it, say goodbye to him or her calmly and in a
as much as possible without rushing (we know how precious every minute is in the morning, but
Some children take a few moments to transition from the home world to the
Kindergarten, make arrangements to return, hug, talk quietly). We know,
That you are rushing to your duties and we are trying very hard to facilitate your
child's morning start, but in doing so we must respect his emotions and those of others
children.
- take into account that some children are sad or cry at parting, but
agree to be helped and accompanied by a teacher in this sorrow. After comforting
Are ready to take care of the fun. If this is your case, we will let you know how the child
manages after just a few minutes of morning solace. This is a different situation from
snatching a protesting child's parent by force.
- Show understanding of the child's feelings, help him name the haggling
emotions, but also do not induce your own fear in him and do not burden him with
His own longing, fears and dilemmas.
- In the beginning, it is better to leave the child in the kindergarten for a shorter time than it would give
advice to „endure”: under-satisfaction is definitely better than over-satisfaction. For most
children in the first days of adaptation is 1 to 3 hours.
- if the child requires it, enter the room with him and wait until he is accustomed to the new
situation. We ask you to behave quietly and calmly in the room and try to
one is not distracted by other children. It is also advisable to be a bit boring for
Your own child:). Let from organizing attractions, guiding and helping your child
will be teachers - otherwise they will never get the chance to establish relationships
With a new charge. A child will only trust new people when he or she sees the
confidence in them in the eyes of the parent and will get permission from the parent to enter the
contact mentor.
- if the child does not manage to separate, offer that for the duration of his playtime
we will sit in the checkroom (the child will have access to the parent whenever he/she reports
such a need). If the child does not want to leave the parent in the locker room, teachers
will make unobtrusive attempts to invite the child into the room and encourage the
interesting activities. Gradually, we can begin to leave the kindergarten - always after the
Agreeing with the child and the teacher and after saying goodbye - for longer and longer periods of time
periods.
- please take into account that during the period of adaptation, the teacher may call the
You and ask to pick up the child who needs it in advance.
Stretching your stay in the kindergarten by force will not speed up the adaptation process. What
Worse - it can drastically slow it down when the child loses confidence in teachers
(‚they were supposed to call my mother when I was unwell and my mother was supposed to come’).
We assure you that teachers are very keen to make such situations rare, and they will certainly give
Every effort is made to make the child feel safe, understood, allowed to help himself and
wished to seek comfort from them first, before calling a parent for help.
Teachers will always first try to soothe the child by talking or
Hugging, providing rest, reducing stimuli, etc.
Try to limit changes in the child's life for the first few months
Preschool adventure (weaning, weaning, changing
Daily habits, diet, sleep rituals, learning ‚correct’ behavior
get, etc. etc. can wait - nothing on this list bothers us:)).
Please also consider that significant changes in the life of a child, this
kie such as the birth of a sibling, a move or a tense situation at home, which had a
place during the peri-adaptation period, can make adaptation more difficult and lengthy.
Be prepared for difficult behavior (outbursts of anger, crying, severe fatigue, etc.)
After returning from kindergarten. They do not necessarily mean that during the day there was a
something bad happened or the child, for example, did not nap long enough; more often it is natural
to unwind accumulated emotions and fatigue from new stimuli. The child there,
Where he feels safest, throws off all the tension and fatigue of the hard
The adaptation work it has done in the kindergarten. So it is even for you
A kind of compliment:). Give the child time, understanding, calmness.
After kindergarten, try not to rush, don't rush your child, spend time together
time in peace. Don't question the child („didn't you cry?”, „did you eat dinner?”). Child
relaxed will probably itself begin to tell you about the events of the past
of the day. Embrace the stories. Let your child talk about adventures and joys, but
Also about sadness and longing.
