How to Best Prepare Your Child for Their First Kindergarten Day to Avoid Separation Anxiety and Drop Off Dramas.

Are You Ready to Start Day-care?

• Is your child starting Day-care soon?

• Are you and your child both anxious about this big change?

• Do you have some doubts or perhaps don’t know how to even begin preparing your child for their first day at Kindy?

If this sounds like you, then continue reading to find simple and practical tips that will undoubtedly transform your first Kindergarten Day into something to look forward to.

I know that right this minute, there are so many thoughts and questions running through your mind.

As a Parent you are probably thinking:

• I don’t know if my child is ready for day-care yet.

• I feel so guilty, but I must go back to work/ have more time for myself.

• I don’t know if my child will be able to cope.

• Will she/he be able to ask for help?

• What if he/she gets hungry or tired?

• What if she/ he gets hurt?

While your Child is probably wondering:

• Is mum/dad going to come back?

• How long is mom/ dad going to be away?

• Who is going to help me?

• Who is going to comfort me and love me when I am sad?

To name just a few.

Let me assure you, that it is very normal to have some anxiety when beginning a new phase in your life. And your child starting day-care for the first time is a Big Deal!!

The first few days of kindergarten can be most difficult.

Emotions will be running high. It will be especially difficult for the little one if she/he hasn’t had much experience being away from you.

So, how can you make the first day of Kindy a better experience for both you and your child?

The secret answer is preparation.

15 Valuable Tips on How to Prepare Your Child For Their First Kindergarten Day.

1.Take advantage of the Free visit sessions

Take advantage of the Free visit sessions that day-care centres offer prior to the official start date.

If your day-care entre does not offer this, request the center management if you and your child could visit a few times for a short duration (1/2 hour to an hour session at a time).

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This is your chance to get to know the physical structure of the day-care (where your child’s room is and access to other amenities from it like the bathroom, playground etc.)

You get the opportunity to see everything in action in real time.

For instance, you can see how the educators and the children are interacting with each other, if the children are happy in general, the engagement level of children in learning experiences and how the educators are engaging with the children.

2.Get to Know the Educators

Get to know the educators who will be taking care of your child. Learn their names and their general shift times.

This way you will be able to follow the incidents of the day and talk to the right person when necessary.

3.Introduce the Teachers to Your Child by their Name.

This will help build familiarity and your child will learn to identify their main educators by name.

4.Observe the Routine of the Day and the General Rules

Observe the routine of the day and the general rules, during your ‘Stay and Play’, so that you can explain it to your child and why it is important to follow those rules at day-care.

e.g., Riding your bike on the bike track reduces the chances of accidents and eliminates disruption to other learning areas.

5.Let your Child Participate in a Few Routine Activities with Other Children.

This will be great way for you see how your child is coping, or what skills your child needs to catch up on.

E.g., children are using their words to ask for a turn.

Can your child do the same?

6.Spend Some Time Both Inside and Outside the Room.

This will allow your child to get familiar with spaces and learn where their favourite areas are. E.g., Dinosaurs are on the shelf in the centre of the room.

This is important because then your child can use this space for comfort or self-regulation.

7. Help your Child Navigate to the Important Areas

Help your child navigate to the important areas e.g., the bathroom, lockers (bag area), mealtime areas, the drink bottle table etc.

This will help your child feel more independent and confident in the new environment when they start.

8.Allow your Child to Engage in Play with Other Children

Allow your child to engage in play with other children while you are there so he/she can begin to form some friendships.

Remember to introduce the children by name to your child.

Encourage your child to engage in a conversation with other children during this play.

This will teach your child ways to form friendships with new friends.

9.Talk About All the Fun and Exciting Things

Talk to your child about all the fun and exciting things that you can see other children doing; that your child will be able to do at day-care too.

This will help build anticipation for the next visit.

10.Bring your Child’s Attention to the Fact that there are No Parents at the Day-care

Bring your child’s attention to the fact that there are no parents at the day-care and that when your child starts in a few days’ time, you will not be staying back either.

Once again bring your child’s attention to the fact at how other children are happy and engaged and that your child will be too.

11.Take a Photo or a Copy of the Room Routine

Take a photo or a copy of the room routine with you so you can somewhat prepare your child on the order of events for the day.

This way your child will understand how many things they have to do in their Kindy day before they get picked up.

12.Take Some Photos of the Educators

Take Some Photos of the Educators, if possible (there are always educator photos on the walls), so you can talk about the awesome teachers to your child at home.

This will once again build familiarity; your child will learn their teachers name and know whom to go to for help.

13.Repeat the ‘Free Visit’ Sessions

Repeat the ‘Free Visits’ for as many times as you are allowed.

It might seem like a pain, but it will help you both so much on your first day of kindergarten.

Trust me!

14.Give your Child a Token from Home

New beginnings can be difficult. Settling into the new environment around new people can become overwhelming for your child.

When children have something familiar to hold onto, it comforts them and reduces their anxiety.

When children can share and talk about something familiar, something they love, it becomes easier for them make friends and settle quicker into the new Kindy environment.

This token from home will make other children curious, and eager to ask your child more questions, which will then prompt your child to engage in conversations and make friends.



15. Read Books That Help with Separation Anxiety

Parent Handbook

For more practical tips and strategies on how you could help your child with separation anxiety or settle easily and quickly into day-care,

I highly recommend that you read this Parent handbook- ‘Learn 3 Best Lifelong Habits to Defeat Day-care Drop off Dramas Forever.’

“l’m an early childhood educator and have had lots of children with separation anxiety over the years and even with my own children. l recommend this extremely useful resource especially to new daycare parents. It gives you great ideas to make your morning drop off's easier by preparing your child mentally and physically.” - Anita Eddy- Early Childhood Educator

Picture Storybook for Kids

This book helps children understand that Kindy is not a scary place and that they will be well looked after. The book illustrates where the children can go for help and what activities they can do to have a lot of fun when at daycare.

Read ‘Mummy Don’t Go!’ with your child and using the pictures, discuss all the fun things that they can do at Kindy.

Many times, children’s separation anxiety stems from the fear of what will happen to them if mom/ dad don’t come back.

Reassure your child that they will definitely be picked up in the afternoon. This book shows a lovely end to the child’s day where she is excited to show mom everything before going home.

“I enjoy reading the book ‘Mummy Don’t Go!!’ with the children in the kindergarten classroom. It is a great resource for the children who are struggling during drop-off times and separation anxiety. The bright illustrations help children relate to their real-life experiences.

I would highly recommend this resource to the parents and educators who are facing the same challenge. This book is a very good means to promote social-emotional wellbeing as well as the speech and language development of the children.” - Nina Bashir- Early Childhood Teacher

Here is a FREE Checklist with 15 tips on how to prepare your child for their first Daycare Day.