Preparing For Preschool

Orientation

Schedule an Orientation and some “play dates” with the Centre Director. These visits to our Kindy will allow your child to become more familiar with our staff members within the safety of your presence. The Orientation is a valuable time for you to ask questions and get to know your child’s educators. During your Orientation a team member will show you around and discuss a number of things to do with the service including:

• Where to put your child’s bag
• Information areas and program displays
• Meal and daily individual information locations
• Information about bottles, breast milk and formula
• Our online learning and communications platform
• Your child’s educators

During your orientation encourage your child to participate in the activities and meal times on offer as well as getting to know staff and their classmates.

At Home

• Establish a routine at home. Get a copy of your child’s classroom routine and try and mimic this as closely as possible in the weeks leading up to their start date. This includes developing clear bedtime and morning routines. Established routines can help mentally prepare children for what lies ahead and can be immensely beneficial for the settling in process. Please note that the service will attempt to follow your child’s individual sleep and meal routine if they are a young baby
• In the couple of weeks leading up to their start date begin talking about going to Kindy in a casual and positive manner. Try to talk about their new Kindy as you drive or walk past
• Spend some time reading books about Kindy/preschool/daycare. Use these books to spark conversation between you and your child about THEIR new Kindy
• Discuss the idea of preschool, making new friends, having new toys to play with and a teacher who will read and/or do other activities they will enjoy
• Buy a bag and let your child help pack it, teach them to recognise their bag, their hat, shoes and other belongings. Ensure that your child’s bag, shoes, hat, clothes, bottles and all other belongings are clearly labelled with their first and last name

• Ensure your child has had a good night’s sleep and a large healthy breakfast (if arriving after 8am)
• If possible, make your child’s first day at the centre shorter than usual to ensure a slow and positive transition into their new Kindy
• Bring your child into their designated classroom or into the playground if their class is playing outside. An educator from your child’s room will welcome you and your child
• Allow your child some time to observe the other children. They may not feel ready to join in straight away and will need to do so at their own pace. Some children benefit from you engaging in an activity with them for about 5 mins-10 mins before you leave. In some cases your child may get upset the longer you stay. If this is the case, our educators may guide you to leave your child with them. Generally your child will settle shortly after you leave. Don’t worry! We will certainly call you if they are still extremely upset and don’t settle in a reasonable time frame. Please remember you can call us at any time – no, it really doesn’t bother us!
• Make sure that your child’s special comfort toy/security blanket is packed in their bag and clearly labelled if needed
• Never sneak away from your child. We know it can be tempting to slip away while they are happily engaged in an activity. However, this can lead to lots of unnecessary stress for your child who feels they have been abandoned. Please make an effort to say goodbye to your child in a calm, confident and reassuring manner even if this means your child may appear stressed and begin to cry. For some children this is normal but seldom lasts any length of time. Again, we will contact you if your child does not settle. Your child’s educator will be happy to help you establish a “goodbye routine”.

Every child is unique. In our experience it generally takes around 6-8 weeks for your child to settle into their new routine and feel comfortable and confident in their new environment. Of course, for a lot of children this will happen a lot sooner and for some it may take a little longer, but our educators will attempt to communicate constantly with you about their progress.

• If possible, allow your child to do shorter days for the first couple of weeks. This allows for a slower and smoother transition into care
• Let your child’s educators know approximately what time you will be picking your child up on a daily basis. This will help the educators to comfort and prepare your child for your arrival, for example many children take great comfort knowing that “we are going to have a big sleep, then have some afternoon tea, then mummy/daddy/grandma will be here to pick you up!”
• Communicate openly and regularly with your child’s educators
• Stay informed. Read about what your child has done throughout the day and casually discuss it with them in a positive manner. Share and discuss photos from your child’s online portfolio with your child and get involved in special days (events and dress-up days etc.)
• Remember that if your child cries on drop-off and pick-up is is unlikely that they are not enjoying themselves during the day. Talk with your child’s educators about any concerns you have and rest assured that your child is being well cared for and given cuddles and attention in your absence
• Ensure your child is still getting to spend lots of quality time with you at home, having some special one-on-one time can be especially helpful during the transition into care. Your little one needs to know that although you can’t be there all the time you still have time to listen to and play with them
• If you would like to encourage friendships between your child and others at Kindy, talk with other parents to set up play-dates at home