Settling In
You and your child are about to embark on a wonderful journey into kindergarten life. Although this is a very exciting time in your life, you may be having mixed feelings about the experience and the big changes ahead. Remember, you are not alone! Many parents feel this way at the beginning of their child’s kindergarten life and building positive relationships with the educational team at your kindergarten will make the process much easier.
A good settling in process acknowledges the child's emotions and needs, builds trust between the child, carer and educator and ends with the child feeling safe in their new environment. A good relationship between the child and educator is the basis for all educational processes in the kindergarten, as a child can only demonstrate explorative behaviour if they feel safe and secure (Graf & Seide, 2019). As such, the ultimate goal of settling in is for children to establish this type of sustainable relationship.
The settling in process is a vital part of your child's journey into kindergarten and should be well planned to ensure that your family feels prepared. This process can vary from kindergarten to kindergarten, depending on the location, curriculum or philosophy of the institution.
Settling In Should
Be child-centred and take each child’s individual needs into account.
Consider the needs of the family.
Value and respect the views of all participants in the process.
Have a flexible time line.
Even if this is not your first experience settling a child into a kindergarten, each situation is unique, and it is important to recognise and take your concerns seriously. As a parent, you should feel as safe and secure with this process as possible so that you may in turn reflect a positive outlook onto your child.