It is definitely not an easy process for both yourself and your child when it is time for them to be taken care of by someone else no matter how nurturing and similar the childcare centre is to your home. Even for adults, we might face some anxiety when we relocate or when we change our job. In the same manner, our children and us will require some time to adapt to this new stage of their life, to form relationships with their Childcare’s teachers, new friends and new routines and environment. We have included some tips to ease your child’s transition into a childcare centre. Also check out this article on how you can help your child overcome separation anxiety.
By choosing a childcare centre which you and your spouse are comfortable with is very important as you will feel more confident and assured your child is in a suitable learning environment. Do check out the articles that we have written on how to choose a right childcare.
Spend time to introduce the idea
Start by introducing the idea of a “school” , sharing with your child what he or she can expect in the school, without making them feel overly excited or anxious. Keep them involved in the preparation process such as shopping for a new schoolbag, or a special “going to school” water bottle. Also, head down to the library to borrow some books on the first day to school and share with your child your own personal experiences! All these experiences will make your child more assured and excited for their own first day at school.
Develop a morning routine
Being organised and prepared in the morning, without having the rush to prepare your child to school, will allow the child to be more calm and receptive to go to school. Children also thrive on routines hence a well planned morning routine will go a long way in preparing the child to go to childcare centre without fuss.
Bring a security item
Allow your child to pick out an item which will provide comfort when he or she is anxious or worried, it can be a laminated family picture, a cuddly teddy bear, pillow, anything familiar to your child of home and comfort. You could also say to your child, “please keep this safe till we come and fetch you home.” this will also assure your child that you will be back to pick them up.
Communicate with their teachers
Talk to the teachers to ask about your child’s behaviour and how did they adapt to school and their new routine. Also talk to your child after school to see what he or she has done in school, what toys did they play, which new friend did they make etc. Talk to them about school in a positive and upbeat tone so they can appreciate and enjoy the journey of starting school.
At Nurture Infant House Tampines, we use various means to actively communicate with parents. For example, we use the app “ClassDojo” to send messages to individual parents, broadcast messages and also as a platform to post photos of the individual child. It is also used to share more details about what the child did during his/her day at the Infant Care. For caregivers or parents who might not be comfortable using the app, we will still use a “personal communication book” for all children to communicate important information with parents.
In addition, at Nurture Infant House Tampines, we also use other online platforms like facebook to share more useful tips on parenting. Do check out our blog section on this website for more insights on specific areas which parents are concerned with.
Don't linger
It is easier for both you and the child to say a swift and confidence Good Bye then to linger on as if you seem nervous or upset about leaving her, her anxiety might increase as your child may sense your anxieties. Most children will calm down after their parents leave, you can call the school to check ony our child, if your child is still upset, you can seek the teacher’s advise for another plan.
In this article, we talk about how you can help your child overcome separation anxiety.
Starting Childcare is a big adjustment for both the parent and your child, do give yourself ample time to prepare your child for the new arrangement, this will help to ease the transition when the actual day comes.
For parents living in the Tampines, Nurture Infant House has had 30 years of experience in caring for your beloved children. We invite you to check out our parents' testimonials of our infant care centre and childcare centre. You will see that our children look forward to go to infant care/childcare and we prepare them well for primary school.
If you are looking for infant care in Tampines or in East, do visit Nurture Infant House. If you are looking for a preschool for toddlers and older children in Tampines or in East, do visit Genesis Childcare 1989.
Feel free to book an appointment through WhatsApp. You can visit us at the following venues:
Nurture Infant House (Tampines) (2 to 18 months Infants) Blk 433 Tampines Street 43 #01-61 Singapore 520433
Tel: 96664141
Genesis Childcare 1989 (Tampines)
Blk 433 Tampines Street 43 #01-63/65 Singapore 520433
Tel: 96664141