Let's go to kindergarten: tips for parents on how to properly prepare a 2-3 year old child for the first day of kindergarten

How a child’s first day in kindergarten depends on his attitude toward attending, relationships with other children, and even mental health. Difficult adaptation to new conditions will contribute to the weakening of the nervous system, and this is a direct path to permanent diseases and weakened immunity. The task of parents is to create the most favorable environment at home and mentally prepare the child so that the process of the child’s adaptation to kindergarten goes smoothly and quickly.

Adapting a child to kindergarten: 8 tips

Wake up your child early from the very first morning so that he does not have to get ready in a hurry. Don't be nervous or rush him.

Let him have breakfast in peace, prepare something that he especially likes.

Choose clothes and shoes that are easy to take off and put on.

Put a handkerchief in his pocket moistened with a few drops of your regular eau de toilette - the smell will remind him of you. You can also give him a small toy (to fit in his pocket) that will remind him of home.

Speak to your child in a calm voice, explain to him that he will go to kindergarten every day - just like you go to work - and that you will come for him after lunch or nap.

When saying goodbye, avoid two extremes: do not leave your child in a hurry, trying to hold back your own tears, and do not look into his eyes and do not say goodbye to him for an hour. A gentle kiss, a calm and confident expression on your face, a goodbye word to the teacher, a farewell hand gesture at the door - and that’s it, you can leave. The faster you do this, the easier it will be for your child to get used to the new rhythm of life.

In the first days, the baby may have problems with sleep, with eating, he may have nightmares, he may act too excited and even pee in the crib... Don’t worry - everything should quickly fall into place.

If, after a few weeks, the child continues to cry in the morning, and the teacher confirms that he is sad and apathetic during the day, then it makes sense to contact a child psychologist.

Problems of children's adaptation. How to understand that a child’s adaptation to kindergarten is difficult?

he begins to behave like a baby - he pees in the bed, speaks slurred;
he withdraws into himself;
at the end of the day he seems unnaturally tired;
he suffers from dermatitis, nightmares or recurring sore throat;
he has been crying every morning for more than three weeks straight.

Take care of your nutrition

The child must be taught to eat the food that is served in the kindergarten. Make sure that he does not protest against soups, vegetable and dairy dishes, jelly, compotes and cocoa. If these dishes and drinks are familiar in the baby’s diet and are considered homemade, it will not occur to him to refuse them in the garden. The basis of kindergarten nutrition is porridge, soups, cheesecakes, casseroles, meat and fish cutlets.

Wean your baby from fiddling with food for a long time. About half an hour is allotted for lunch in kindergarten, and it will always be unpleasant for him to be among those lagging behind.

Addiction difficulties

We should not forget that in the first days everything may be fine, but difficulties will appear in two to three weeks or a month. The child may unexpectedly begin to categorically refuse to get ready for kindergarten in the morning, suffer from nightmares, or get sick often. This is due to the fact that the novelty of impressions and the joy of communicating with new friends has already been exhausted, stress has accumulated, and the child fully felt the loss of all previous privileges.

Remember that full adaptation is possible no earlier than in a couple of months. All this time, you need to try to smooth out most of the differences between the baby’s old and new life. Pay him as much attention as possible, try to cook his favorite dishes on weekends and evenings, show interest in his activities in kindergarten and listen to everything he wants to say. Praise and take care of children's drawings and crafts. In a word, during this period show maximum patience, kindness and do not be afraid to make some concessions to the child.

The most important thing is to be a friend to your child. Trust and mutual understanding are the basis of a strong relationship, in which it is easier for a child to endure any stress.

Rules for successful adaptation in kindergarten

“In the fall I send my child to kindergarten. How can I help him get used to kindergarten in the least painful way?”

How to properly prepare for kindergarten? First you need to find a teacher who really loves children. This is the main condition. Don’t be lazy, take the time to talk to your parents. Come in the morning without a child and watch how the children come to this teacher. If they run to her, hug her, she is happy with them, and they immediately get involved in some kind of activity - you can safely bring the child.

In this choice you cannot rely on chance. Many of the adults I work with as a psychologist have terrible memories of kindergarten: they talk about how they were humiliated, disgraced and insulted. No one can guarantee that this is not happening now.

Parents and the teacher must have good contact - feedback must certainly exist. The age of the teacher does not matter. It is advisable that the number of children in the group does not exceed twelve to fifteen people (the general rule is: the younger the children, the smaller the group should be).

After you have chosen a teacher, agree with the head and come with your child to the kindergarten for a walk. It is better for the baby to meet the children and the teacher on the street, in the presence of his mother. The child should become interested in what is happening in this kindergarten.

Do you feel the fundamental difference: do we bring our son or daughter to a completely unfamiliar place and “abandon” them in the hope that they will somehow “swim out on their own” - or do we let them adapt, make friends with other children and want to return there?

There is no need to set any deadlines in advance. Perhaps at first the child will not want to leave his mother at all. There's nothing wrong with that, you can play side by side. The main thing for the baby is to make sure that the mother does not go anywhere, she is here and can take him home at any time

It is very important!

We walked and played - the child wanted to look inside. He came in and looked - and there were toys, small beds, and all this was unusual and interesting. Then it turned out that the children in the garden were eating sausages and peas - this is what captivated my daughter at the time. So, little by little, interest and desire to go to kindergarten appear. Everyone needs different amounts of time for this: some a month, some three. If the child doesn’t want to and resists, it means he’s not ready yet.

Someone may ask: “Do we really have to spend so much time and effort on all this?” Of course, it’s easier to give it away right away. But in this case, it turns out that we rape our children only because it’s easier for us. It’s easier not to think, it’s easier not to put in any effort, and let the children figure it out themselves. But children do not yet have sufficient resources of their own; it is difficult, sometimes unbearable, and sometimes impossible for them to cope without the help of adults.

The most dangerous thing that can happen if a child is forcibly sent to kindergarten when he was not yet psychologically ready for this is a breakdown in social and emotional attachment. The consequences of this psychological trauma last a lifetime. The baby cries every day, doesn’t want to go to kindergarten, is often sick, clings to his mother - but they still take him away and expect him to get used to it...

And suddenly, at some point, the child suddenly stops crying, sometimes withdraws into himself, doesn’t say anything about the kindergarten, and may even stop noticing that his mother has come for him. The parents and teacher are happy - he’s used to it, but his emotional connection with his mother has actually “broken.” His ability to establish warm, trusting, close relationships has suffered. Because since you can’t trust your mom, since she’s leaving him, how can you trust anyone else?

Some adults who experienced something similar in childhood consciously or unconsciously choose loneliness - just to never experience that pain and horror of separation from a loved one again.

If the child does not eat on his own

Eating is a particularly important moment. If you are still feeding your child with a spoon, there can only be two options - either teach him to eat on his own, or leave him at home for now. Staff will not be able to spoon feed every child. If a child does not know how to eat on his own, most likely, in kindergarten he will flatly refuse to eat at all.

Physically, a three-year-old child is quite capable of eating anything on his own. Spoon feeding is perceived rather as a ritual of communication with mother. In the absence of the mother, the ritual also disappears - the child refuses to eat. Thus, the beginning of kindergarten life can be greatly complicated. While the child is still at home, let him eat on his own. Be patient. The baby can sit eating for a very long time and get dirty up to his ears, but sooner or later he will master this simple process, which will make life much easier for himself and you.

Medical training

To start attending kindergarten, parents need to obtain a medical card and form No. 026/у-2000. This can be done in the clinic where the child is observed. The medical record contains information about the baby’s health status, tests completed and vaccinations.

Before receiving a card, a child needs to undergo a number of specialists:

pediatrician;
surgeon;
orthopedist;
neurologist;
otolaryngologist;
ophthalmologist;
dermatologist;
psychologist.

Each doctor examines the child, after which he writes recommendations and a conclusion about the possibility of attending a preschool educational institution. Immediately before visiting kindergarten, the child must undergo tests for diphtheria bacillus and intestinal infections, and take a general blood and urine test. The list of doctors, the timing of medical examinations and the requirements for obtaining a medical card vary depending on the region of residence of the family and the specific institution to which the child was allocated.

The child’s immunity needs to be strengthened before entering kindergarten

It is recommended to start hardening in advance in order to strengthen the child’s immunity and minimize the risks of diseases in kindergarten. The simplest methods:

walk barefoot indoors and outdoors - on grass, sand;
douse yourself with water with a gradual decrease in temperature;
visit the pool or swim in natural reservoirs in the summer.

Long walks, active games and sleep in the fresh air are useful. Each type of hardening must be started gradually, preferably in the summer, while the child must be healthy.

Your baby's immunity before kindergarten can also be supported with the help of vitamins. A balanced diet with enough berries, fruits and vegetables will help replenish the supply of essential substances. In some cases, the pediatrician may recommend separate multivitamin complexes for the child.

Preparation and adaptation to the garden

Surely you want to choose a good kindergarten and a good teacher for your little one. It should be noted that the latter is more important, since it is the person with whom the baby will be all day who creates the atmosphere in the group, and the well-being of the children largely depends on him, and not on the kindergarten.

The situation of novelty is alarming for any person. The adaptation period lasts approximately 6 weeks.

The first three weeks are when the most violent reactions occur, manifested in:

sleep disorders
capriciousness
respiratory diseases are possible.

By preparing your child, you can avoid these troubles:

Walks in kindergarten

It would be nice to sometimes walk on the territory of the kindergarten with his friends, so that in the future everything will be already familiar.

Meet the teacher

Meet the group teacher in advance

Tell us about your child’s individual characteristics, what he likes and what he doesn’t, pay attention to the elements of self-care, what his skills are, what help he needs.

Daily regime

Try to prepare your child for the kindergarten daily routine in advance. Six months before entering kindergarten, organize your lifestyle so that your child communicates with different people

Teach him to communicate with other children and adults: visit children's parks and playgrounds with him, teach him to play in the sandbox, go to visit friends and relatives.

About spending time at home

Remember that visiting kindergarten in the first days involves a large load on the already immature nervous system. Therefore, to relieve it outside the garden, limit participation in noisy events, visiting people, and watching TV shows. Communicate more and be interested in what is happening in the baby’s life, hug him more often and remind him how much you love him. Questions about whether the child likes the garden and whether he wants to go there tomorrow are inappropriate: they may lead him to think that it is possible to do without visiting the garden.

Fairytale therapy helps you adapt to the garden

But the most powerful and accessible means is the magic of a fairy tale. There is a whole direction in psychology - fairy tale therapy.

Let the baby tell you the character himself or use the animal that you affectionately call your baby:

bunny
kitty
little mouse

Compose with your child, fantasize so that the story is closer to your family. When talking about kindergarten, be objective so as not to create false expectations.

It is better to send your child to kindergarten at 4 years old

For the first time, you can only take your child for a walk and spend some time with him. Don't be late, at least pick him up on time the first time. Tell your child that while he is in kindergarten, you will:

think about him
miss
earn money in order to then go together to the children's club, buy his favorite treat, a long-awaited toy.

Observe what this toy does, what it says, and together with your baby, help her find friends or solve an existing problem or conflict. Focus the game on a positive outcome.

When your baby goes to kindergarten, give him a toy with you and try to persuade him to leave it in the group overnight so that you can meet it again in the morning. If the child does not agree to this, let the toy go with him to the garden every day, because it is more fun and calmer with a friend.

But this remedy is not suitable for everyone: for some, a toy is their best friend, but for others it does not play an important role in such situations. And the final touch

Every day be:

calm
persistent
friendly

come up with a farewell ritual. The child senses your mood. And your calmness will definitely be transferred to him.

Integrate “Pravda.Ru” into your information flow if you want to receive prompt comments and news:

Subscribe to our channel in or

Add “Pravda.Ru” to your sources in Yandex.News or

We will also be glad to see you in our communities in

We adapt gradually

The first days of kindergarten should be short. First, bring the child for an hour, then for 2 or 3, then you can try leaving him until lunch or putting him to sleep at a quiet hour with other children. Thus, the period of stay in the group will be extended gradually.

Let him take his favorite toy with him. Ask in the evening not only what the child himself was doing, but also what his favorite bear or bunny was doing. You can learn a lot from your child's answers. After all, when talking about his pet, the baby always means himself.

When leaving, leave quickly, leave with a cheerful face.

Rules for adaptation to kindergarten

Remember that during the period of adaptation to kindergarten, children often get sick, and their intellectual development can not only slow down, but even roll back, as if the child dreams of returning to the age when his mother did not leave him with strangers. Here are some simple rules to smooth the adaptation process:

Never lie! The child does not go “on a visit” or to some “magical place” - he goes to kindergarten. After all, if he understands that you deceived him in this matter, then where is the guarantee that you did not deceive him by promising to return for him? And the fear of being left alone is one of the most serious childhood fears.
Long before starting kindergarten, synchronize your child’s routine with the kindergarten routine.
If you still have some worries and fears, under no circumstances share them with your child. Don't even show it!
Remember that in the first few days you in any case have the right to be in kindergarten with your child.
For the first time, leave your child in the garden for no more than two or three hours. It is unacceptable to “throw it away” for the whole day!
First, bring the children to the garden in time for a walk. And why do many people advise bringing your child in the morning? In the morning, as a rule, some regime phases are replaced by others. It’s already difficult and scary for the baby, and now he’s faced with a bunch of unfamiliar and incomprehensible rules.
When parting, do not forget to reassure your child that you will definitely come back for him, and constantly repeat that you love him.
When leaving, say goodbye to your child quickly and easily. A long goodbye with a worried expression on your face will cause anxiety, or even panic, in your son or daughter.
Tell the teacher your child’s pet name, talk about his home life, and generally get to know the kindergarten staff in advance.
During the adaptation period, do not schedule vaccinations, visits to the dentist, or other medical procedures that can cause trauma to the child’s psyche.
Don't scold your child for bad behavior! You are adults and you cannot help but understand that it is not he, but his adaptation that is capricious and stubborn.
On weekends and holidays, stick to the kindergarten routine.
At home, play kindergarten with your child, and let some of the toys be his own. Observe what this toy does and what it says, together with your child, help it find friends and solve your child’s problems through it, focusing the game on positive results.

Adaptation for mom

It happens that the mother herself is not yet ready to send her child to kindergarten. With her behavior, she wittingly or unwittingly demonstrates anxiety, which also charges the child. Of course, this will not help adaptation in any way. The most reasonable thing in such a situation would be to temporarily transfer authority to the father or other relatives, who will be able to take the baby away without unnecessary emotions.

It is necessary to maintain close communication with the kindergarten. Talk to the teacher, be aware of everything that is happening with your baby. When he is not in front of you, the child may behave completely differently than at home. A conversation with a teacher can open your eyes to a lot, and you, for your part, will help her understand your child better.

Difficult adaptation: how to help your child

Not all children quickly and easily get used to kindergarten. Parents whose kids don’t want to get ready for kindergarten every morning and cry when they part, often don’t know what behavior strategy to choose. A few tips can help in case of difficult adaptation. If these simple methods do not work, the best solution is to consult a psychologist.

If a child is very attached to his mother and is having a hard time parting with her, let his father, grandmother or other relative take him to kindergarten. If your child is very worried when his parents are not around, give him a small thing with you in the group that will remind him of you. It could be a handkerchief with the scent of mom's perfume, a small photograph, or something else. If your child is very homesick, allow him to take a few toys into the group, but not the most beloved and important ones, because in kindergarten they can be forgotten or lost, and this is another reason for frustration. Familiar things will help create a more comfortable environment for the child in the group. If your child has difficulty falling asleep during quiet time, give him a soft toy with which he is used to sleeping at home. Agree with the teacher: let him allow the baby to just lie quietly in the crib if he can’t fall asleep. If your child is cranky in the morning and doesn’t want to go to kindergarten, try to motivate him. Maybe his favorite car or doll is waiting for him in his locker, maybe he’s missing his beautiful sandals or gym shoes? Promise your baby something fun when you pick him up, such as a long walk

But in this case, it is important not to disappoint the child and fulfill the promise. If your child can’t adapt to the group, play kindergarten at home. Let the child use toys to reproduce ordinary situations: a walk, lunch, going to bed

The game helps parents learn more about what is happening in the garden, and allows the baby to let go of negative emotions. If several weeks have already passed, and the child cries inconsolably when parting and when meeting in the evening, and is depressed during the day, you should think about softening the regime. You can come to kindergarten later or pick up your baby early.

No matter how the adaptation goes, do not forget to praise the child for all successes. Was this the first time he didn't cry when he broke up? Be sure to say that you are very proud of him. Constantly emphasize that the baby has gone to kindergarten and has become an adult and independent, praise him in front of friends and relatives.

Let's help the teacher

Dressing children for a walk (especially the younger group) is a separate problem. At first, children always confuse their lockers, put on other people's things by mistake, and lose and confuse their own. This creates a lot of trouble for the nanny and teacher. A simple way to help is to sign your baby's things, especially at the beginning of the year. Spare items should be put in a bag, and only clothes for current needs should be left on the locker shelf, otherwise misunderstandings are possible.

But the main thing is to teach your child to dress himself. At home, give your child the opportunity to master the process from beginning to end, while talking through the order of putting things on, and also ask your child to prompt you (as if you forgot).

First day in kindergarten: what parents should do

We bring the child to kindergarten. So, you leave your baby in the group for the first time. Try to remain calm yourself: your excitement will easily be passed on to your child. Don’t rush him - wait until the baby takes off his clothes (help him if necessary), show him his personal locker, put his things there with him. Go to the group and introduce him to the teachers. Don't leave right away, wait until the baby gets used to it a little. In some kindergartens, on the first day, parents can spend several hours in a group with their child. But if the teacher asks you to leave, be understanding - some kids find it easier to get comfortable in a group when their mother is not around.

We say goodbye correctly. When you are ready to leave, be sure to say goodbye to your baby. Do not disappear suddenly - this can greatly frighten the child, and in the future he will have a hard time dealing with the separation. Remember your farewell ritual. Hug and kiss the baby, be sure to tell him when you will return for him. Then walk away with confidence. Even if the child bursts into tears, you should not linger too long. On the first day, teachers will make every effort to calm the baby. He has so many things ahead of him: washing his hands, studying with teachers, getting ready for a walk - often there is simply no time left for tears. Many children stop crying within 10-15 minutes after mom or dad leaves, although exceptions are possible - it all depends on the individual characteristics of the particular child.

We pick up the baby from kindergarten. Be true to your word - pick up the child exactly at the time at which you promised to come for him

On the first day it is especially important not to be late. Meet your baby with a smile, be sure to ask him what he was doing

Spend the rest of the day with your child: you can cook food together, have dinner with the whole family, play, read at night. Let the evening pass as usual for the baby, and let the parents pay maximum attention to him. The child must make sure that when he starts attending kindergarten, family relationships have not changed - everyone loves him just the same.

Communication is the basis of success

Children in kindergarten must be able to communicate. Take your child to the park, to the playground, organize a ride together on a swing or play in the sandbox. If you have relatives or friends with children, try to visit these families and invite them to your place. If not, go for a walk where a lot of mothers and children gather. Communication with peers is one of the most important social skills.

To make a child’s adaptation to kindergarten easier, you need to introduce him to the society of his peers in advance. Visit the playground more often and encourage children to communicate with each other. It will be good if your child makes friends with some kid of his age.

If he has to go to a group with some familiar child, for example, a neighbor in the building, this is very good. You can emphasize: “You will play there with Denis.”

Emphasize that in fun games with peers, time will fly by quickly, the baby himself will not notice how his mother returns. Try to remember yourself at his age, tell your child about those pleasant moments and memories associated with your kindergarten.

Explain to your child the need for your absence, and be sure to emphasize the positive aspects of the fact that mom is leaving to work. For example, mom will earn money and buy new toys.