Transitioning your child to a child care centre can be challenging for children and their families. We as human beings tend to get nervous when encountering something new and unknown.
As a high-quality Reggio-inspired child care centre, Bambini has given extra thought to the process of transitioning children to a new daycare centre. We understand the importance of helping children and families feel comfortable throughout this process.
Today we’re sharing nine tips to help ease the anxiety and make this exciting transition as smooth as possible.
SELECT THE DAYCARE PROGRAM AT LEAST A MONTH BEFORE CHILD CARE IS ACTUALLY NEEDED
Ideally, you will have selected a child care program at least a month before child care is actually required. Adjusting to a new program takes time. Allowing yourself and your child adequate time to adjust is essential.
READ AND FILL OUT ALL THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK (AND SUBMIT IT EARLY)
When you enrol in a child care program, the centre will provide you with an enrolment handbook (which is full of the daycare’s policies) and a registration form.
It is essential that you read the handbook in its entirety and complete the registration papers as soon as possible. High-quality, child-centred, Reggio-inspired childcare programs, like Bambini, rely on registration forms to assist in helping children adjust to the program.
These forms are also used to help plan activities that are of interest to the child. For example, if Sam loves trains (and this is indicated in their enrolment forms), the educators will make an effort to have materials such as trains and train books in the room for Sam’s initial visits to the centre. Hopefully, the addition of trains to the environment will capture Sam’s interest and make them feel more comfortable with the environment.
PLAN SOME VISITS TO THE PROGRAM AND YOUR CHILD’S ROOM.
The best way to feel comfortable with the new child care environment is to make several visits to the centre. By making visits at different times of the day, you and your child will get familiar with:
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the educators who will be working with your child
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the actual room and materials available
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the room’s routines
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the other children and families.......Read More.