At Golden Seeds, we understand that the first day at childcare can be both exciting and challenging for both children and parents alike. To help ease the transition and ensure a positive experience for your child, we’ve compiled some tips and strategies to prepare them for this important milestone:
- Start Early: Begin talking to your child about their new “kindy” a few weeks before their first day. Explain what it is, where it’s located, and what they can expect to do there.
- Orientation: We highly encourage families to schedule a visit to your daycare before the first day. This will allow your child to become familiar with their new environment, meet their educators, and a great opportunity for educators to better understand your child’s routine and interests so that we can be prepared for your first day.
- Establish a Routine: Start establishing a consistent daily routine that mirrors the schedule your child will follow in care. This will help them feel more comfortable with the transition. Where you have a child starting under 2 years old, at Golden Seeds we work closely with our families to keep your child’s routine consistent with their home routine. We understand that you know your child best and we ensure your routine, any little cues your child really enjoys is followed when in care to support your child in feeling safe and secure.
- Talk About Feelings: Encourage your child to express their feelings about starting childcare. Validate their emotions and reassure them that it’s normal to feel nervous or excited. We encourage families to read lots of books where possibly about starting care. There are lots of books you can share with your child online, or in your local book store. We love using literature to help educate children on change and new adventures. Reading these books together can help your child feel more prepared and understand that they’re not alone in their experience.
- Practice Separation: If your child has never been away from you before, practice short separations to help them get used to being apart from you. Start with brief outings and gradually increase the time apart. When you start your little one with us, we encourage shorter days at the beginning. It’s very important to always keep drop off times the same and then s lowly extend the day out as they become more familiar with their new surroundings.
- Pack Comforters/Cuddly Items: Allow your child to bring their favourite comforter or cuddly toy from home, such as a favourite soft animal or blanket, to provide them with a sense of security during their first few weeks in care. Even though they might not need one at home, when settling into a brand-new environment this is a familiar item from home, with your home like smells. We really encourage children to keep this close with them when needed to offer reassurance and a sense of familiarity. Don’t worry, as children being confident and build familiar relationships with their peers and educators. There cuddly toy/comforter will slowly be phased out and no longer needed.
- Communicate with our Educators: At Golden Seeds, we encourage all families to complete an ‘All about me’ from before your child’s first day. This allows open communication to be shared about any important and meaningful information you might have about your child. This includes their likes, dislikes, family culture, routines, pets and your values and goals with our team. This will help educators provide personalised and inviting learning environments that best support your child.
- Always Stay Positive: Children are highly intuitive and can pick up on their parents’ emotions. Stay positive and confident when talking about going to Golden Seeds with your child, and reassure them that it’s a safe and fun place to be. Get them excited and reinforce all the exciting activities and friendships they will form when they come for their day.
- Plan a Special Goodbye: Planning a special goodbye ritual with your child, such as a hug, kiss, or high-five is a fantastic way to give positive cues that its time for you to leave and say goodbye. Reassure them that you’ll be back to pick them up later and that you love them. We do not encourage families just to sneak away when their child is not looking as this in turn can have a negative impact on your child’s emotions and sense of security at our service. Even though they might get upset saying goodbye, this is an important part in developing a trust and security within their new environment.
We hope by following these tips and strategies, you can help prepare your child for their first day at childcare and ensure a smooth transition for both of you. Remember to be patient and supportive, and trust that your child will gradually adjust to their new environment with time.
