How to help new students and parents to acclimate them to a new school or childcare centre environment smoothly

Transitioning from home to a school or a childcare centre is similar to moving from one climate to another climatic zone.

For some families, it is like going from cold Iceland to the hot Sahara desert. For other families, there is little change at all.

This situation will not only effect the children, but their parents as well.

The best way to help and support the children and their parents to acclimate both of them smoothly is doing some steps and procedures:

• the child and their parents are welcomed and allowed to start the transition, by coming to their new school or the childcare centre only for 30 minutes on the first day. The time can be added, if the child and their parents want to stay longer. It is a positive sign, if the child and their parents want to stay longer. 

• They are still allowed to come to the school or the childcare centre together for 1 hour. The time can be added, if the child and their parents want to stay longer.

• The third day, the time is increased to be 2 hours for both child and their parents. The time can be added, if the child and their parents want to stay longer.

• The fourth day, the time is increased to be 3 hours for both child and their parents. 

The teacher can ask the parents, whether they want to stay at school or the childcare centre until the end of the school time or at certain time, when the teacher can see, that the child enjoys the activities and mingles with his/ her peers happily and willingly.

The teacher should ask the child, whether he/ she agrees to continue his/ her activities at the school or the childcare centre, until finished, without being accompanied by  his/ her parents. 

If the child agrees to stay at school or the childcare centre without his/ her parents, the parents are free to leave the school or the childcare centre and then come back to pick their child as well. 

• The fifth day, the teacher should ask the child and their parents, whether they want to stay at school or the childcare centre together for 3 hours or the child can start the activities without being accompanied by his/ her parents. 

If the child agrees to stay at school or the childcare centre without being accompanied by his/ her parents straight away, but the parents are not ready to leave the school or the childcare centre, the teacher can allow the parents to stay at the school's waiting room or ask the school's or the childcare centre's counselor to talk to the parents and encourage them to support their children's decision. 

These steps and procedures can be added or reduced according to the children and their parents' needs. 

©Tina Adi