It is not unusual to be worried when your child heads off to school for their first year in Prep. I'm an older mum with only one child, so every experience my daughter has is a new experience for me too. She starts Prep this year, and I am both nervous and excited for her. I want to use this blog to help other mums whose children are either beginning Prep this year or in the coming years ahead. I will share tips for first day nerves, getting into the grove of schooling, and how to tackle relations with other children of this age group. It is going to be an exciting year of growth for us both.
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If you have decided to use the services of a child care centre, here are some steps you can take to ensure that your child easily adjusts to being in this new environment.
Make an effort to stay calm and positive when dropping them off
If you have never left your child in the care of someone else for more than an hour or two, you might find yourself feeling anxious and emotional when the time comes to drop them off at the child care centre.
Whilst this is perfectly natural, it is important not to make your child aware of this anxiety. The reason for this is as follows; children tend to mirror their parent's emotional states.
If your son or daughter notices that you are tense or teary-eyed when getting them ready for their first day at the centre, they may assume that this is a negative experience and start to become distressed.
This, coupled with their own separation anxiety (an issue that many young children struggle with when they are away from their parents), could result in them being unable to enjoy spending the day at the child care centre.
As such, whilst it might be challenging, it is critical to stay calm, composed and positive during the journey to the child care facility. Make sure to smile and tell your child about all of the fun things that they will get to do during their time at the centre.
Provide them with comforting foods and objects
Children tend to feel most at ease when surrounded by the things and people they know and love.
This is why a lot of young children initially find it difficult to adjust staying in a child care facility; everything, from the people, to the food, furniture and toys, is entirely different to what they are used to.
If you want to help your son or daughter to feel better during this adjustment period, you may want to pack a few comforting, familiar foods and objects in their backpack.
Things like the snacks that they eat on a regular basis at home, coupled with their favourite stuffed toy, blanket or book, could make all the difference to how calm and relaxed they feel during their first couple of days at the child care centre.
Having access to their favourite foods and belongings whilst they are at the centre will not only comfort them but will also help them to develop positive associations with this new environment. For more information, contact establishments like Jenny's Kindergarten.
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