Help your child cope with his first day of nursery

The first day of nursery school is one of the most special in a young child’s short life. It is the first step in an outside world, far from the protection of parents and that will lead them to meet teachers and classmates, who will soon become friends. However, it is also one of the most traumatic moments of his short life, full of grief and with many possibilities of crying.

Although it may be a bit exaggerated, in general, the first day of nursery school is when there is for the first time, in the short life of children, a separation from parents, even grandparents. It means, for children, exposing themselves to an unknown world that some face eagerly – after all, it is an adventure in which to meet friends – but that others do not take it as well . It is the parents’ mission to try to make the change as positive as possible. There are ways to try to make that day as happy as possible, without grief or crying.

MENTALIZING FOR CHANGE

The move to kindergarten is a big change and, like any extraordinary modification of our routine, it is something to be prepared for. In this case twice, because it affects both children and parents – even more family members if the grandparents are responsible for the daily care of the children.

For this reason, the first thing is to be aware of the situation, that the children will go to daycare and a whole series of habits and routines will have to be changed that will also mean that we spend fewer hours a day with them. Once assimilated, the children must be made to understand it. Most children enter kindergarten when they are three years old or about to do so. At this age they are able to fully understand the change they are going to make and how it affects them, so their reaction will be largely given by how parents are able to make them see what kindergarten is .

ADAPTATION BEGINS BEFORE SUMMER

The best thing is to consider it before the summer; Precisely in June there are many nurseries that have open days and even allow new students to attend one or two hours on some days to facilitate the adaptation process, meet teachers and classmates. Before taking the children to the nursery, explain what it consists of and what they are going to do there. It is not necessary to overwhelm them with the subject, but to talk to them about it repeatedly during the previous weeks so that they will get used to the idea.

Tell them that after the holidays their parents have to go back to work and that they will go to daycare. In this way they will see that it is a responsibility, like that of their parents, to fulfill at work. Schooling is an obligation, but it is not necessary to show it to the little ones like that, but rather something fun that we all go through and it helps us to make friends. We can talk to him about how we spent ourselves in kindergarten , what we did and what he will do himself when he starts to go. Always emphasizing the positive things, and not the negative ones, such as talking about certain teachers who we did not like at school or institute, so that they do not have any negative predisposition towards teachers.

A SPACE FOR FUN AND LEARNING

There is no doubt that the best way to make nursery attractive to them is to insist on the fact that they will be with other children and that they will have fun and learn. With the age they are, unless they have siblings or cousins ​​of a similar age, it is most likely that their closest circle does not abound with friends their age and this is an asset to take into account.

To go to kindergarten you have to buy an apron, school supplies, a backpack, … All those little things for children are incentives, because they relate them to fun. You have to make them participate. If they go with their parents to buy these things, they will feel more familiar with school and will be more eager to start .

GET USED TO GETTING UP EARLY AND HAVING A QUIET FIRST DAY

The nursery is not that it has negative aspects, but issues related to it can be. It is the case of having to get up early. For this, it is recommended that this also have its own adaptation process. Days before starting kindergarten, parents should try to wake their children up earlier, so that on the big day they do not feel tired and start crying as little as possible due to lack of sleep .

PARENTS EDUCATE THEIR CHILDREN TO LEARN TO GET UP EARLY

For everything to go smoothly, prepare their favorite breakfast, put clothes on them that they feel comfortable in – you can even let them choose what they prefer from their closet, and go downtown calmly. If you can walk even better, more relaxed than going by car. The great litmus test is the door where children and parents separate, giving the witness to the teachers . The moment of farewell is the hardest but it has to be faced with a smile and avoiding the child being aware that his parents are also sorry for leaving him at school.

The goodbye should not be prolonged excessively and thus there will be less chance of rejection by the child to enter the classroom. Kisses and hugs everywhere to minimize the pain and prevent someone from crying. You have to take into account external aspects on which you cannot act, such as other children around you are crying . It can be contagious behavior among your classmates. For this reason, it is advisable to have told the child that this possibility could occur and that the child cries because he is nervous, not because of anything bad that could happen in the nursery.

PARENTS’ PREPARATION

Parents are the ones who have to convey to the child that they will go to nursery school and how it works, so they will be especially attentive to how their own parents react. For this reason, we must hide the pain caused by having to separate from our little ones and not cry in front of them because of this situation . If we do, we would be sending them contradictory messages that would generate nothing but confusion.