Adaptation of the child to kindergarten

Parents, giving the child to a preschool institution, are worried about his fate. And this is justified. Many children in the period of adaptation become whiny, withdrawn, aggressive, anxious. This is due to the fact that one of the basic needs is not satisfied - the need for safety and security. For the first time, a child is left without loved ones in an unfamiliar environment. In the family, he is in the center of attention, and in kindergarten one of many, just like the others. This breaks the stereotypes that have developed in him, requires psychological restructuring, behavioral changes, and the development of new skills. And the baby is vulnerable, his body is not functionally mature, it is difficult for him to adapt. The help of adults is needed: parents and educators. How to make this process less painful?

Let's get acquainted!

Even before entering kindergarten, parents visit the institution and get acquainted with the head, with the teachers of the group that the baby will attend. When you choose a kindergarten, the most important thing is not in it. appearance, conveniences and beauty of the interior, but in educators and children. Come to the kindergarten and watch the children: are they happy, do they like it there. Good kindergarten - the place is very noisy. If within half an hour you do not hear noise and din, as well as bursts of laughter, look for another kindergarten for your child. What should parents do before their child enters kindergarten?
1. Prepare your child to communicate with other children and adults: visit children's parks and playgrounds with him, teach him to play in the sandboxes, on a swing. Go with him for holidays, for friends' birthdays, watch how he behaves: he is shy, retires, conflicts, fights or easily finds a common language, contacts with peers, is drawn to communication, relaxed.
2. Find out the daily routine in the group and bring the child's routine at home closer to the daily routine in the group.
3. Discuss in the family with the child what is positive in kindergarten (new comrades, many toys, etc.). It is important that the baby is not afraid of kindergarten - then it will be easier for him to get used to it. In no case should a child be threatened with kindergarten as a punishment for children's sins, as well as for his disobedience.
4. Find out if the children of your neighbors or acquaintances go to this garden. Adaptation will be easier if the child has familiar peers in the group with whom he used to play at home or in the yard. Visit the kindergarten when the children are out and introduce your child to the teacher and the children.
5. Teach your child at home all the skills of self-care.
6. Prepare your child for a temporary separation from you and let him know that this is inevitable only because he is already big. Tune the child in a major way. To inspire him that it is very great that he has grown to the garden and has become so big.
7. Increase the role of hardening measures.
8. Do not give up the child in the midst of a crisis of three years.
9. Do not discuss with the baby the problems that concern you related to kindergarten.

Psychological preparation

In about a month, or even earlier, you can begin to prepare the child mentally - tell about what a kindergarten is, who goes there, what happens there, it is advisable to walk around it as often as possible so that the baby gets used to the territory. However, at the same time, you should not overdo it - you should not focus too often on the upcoming event, which can cause fear and self-doubt in the child.

Another tip is to introduce the child to joint games before visiting the kindergarten, walk more on the playground, invite guests and go to friends yourself. In addition, you need to leave the child more often so that he gets used to the fact that mom and dad can go away on business, but after some time they will definitely return, and this should not cause him any special shocks.

It is also necessary to prepare for the kindergarten regime in advance - usually children are brought in at 8-9 in the morning, and picked up at 6 in the evening, quiet time - from 13 to 15. Not all children are used to getting up at 7 in the morning, so reorganize under new way should start at least 2-3 months in advance. Going to bed is better right after Good night, kids! ”, at 21.00. By this time, the child will "ripen" and quickly fall asleep.

In the first few days, in no case should you leave the child for more than 2-3 hours. By observing his reaction, you can gradually increase the time spent in kindergarten. The recommendations of psychologists are as follows - take the child from the kindergarten for about a week before daytime sleep, then (in the normal state of the baby) for about a week - immediately after the afternoon snack, and only then you can leave it for a daytime walk. As a rule, in the first days, children get tired both psychologically and physically, therefore, if possible, it’s good to arrange “unloading from kindergarten” days - to stay at home with him one or two days a week.

Kindergarten food

A separate topic is food in kindergarten. Contrary to popular belief that the food there is tasteless and unattractive, we dare to assure you that this is not the case. The diet in kindergartens is calculated up to the smallest details- it contains fruits, vegetables, cereals, meat or fish, dairy products, etc. The fact that many children refuse to eat kindergarten food is partly the fault of their parents, who “accustomed” them to newfangled sweet yogurts, cereals and other delights. Therefore, the advice to parents is simple - accustom children to the usual and healthy food- soups, cereals, salads, etc. - and then there will be no problems with food in the kindergarten. That's just often there are children who do not have a good appetite from birth. The main thing here is to talk with the teacher and explain the situation so that in no case does he force the child to eat - this can provoke disgust not only for food, but also for kindergarten, as well as for all teachers.

There is another important circumstance that should not be forgotten - one child feels like a fish in water in the kindergarten, for the other the same garden turns into a “room of horrors”, and all because of individual characteristics.

Adaptation: light, heavy and medium

The adaptation of the baby to kindergarten can be divided into three types: light, heavy and medium. A difficult adjustment can take months. During this period, the child has a deterioration in appetite, up to a complete refusal to eat, sleep disturbance and urination, on the face - sudden mood swings, frequent breakdowns and whims. In addition, the baby is very often sick - (in this case, the disease is often associated with the child's reluctance to go to kindergarten). Such children in the team feel insecure, practically do not play with anyone.

If parents let the situation take its course, this can develop into serious nervous diseases and disorders. In some cases, it will be impossible to do without consulting a specialist, and if the baby does not adapt to new conditions during the year, it is possible to think about stopping attending kindergarten. Even with the last scenario, it is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the baby so that later, when it comes time to go to school, there are no such problems.

The second type of adaptation is easy, opposite to the one described above. In this case, the child joins the new team painlessly (this happens within about a month), he is comfortable there, he does not make scandals when his mother takes him to kindergarten. Such children, as a rule, get sick infrequently, although during the period of adaptation, “breakdowns” are still possible.

And the last type of adaptation is the average, when the baby more or less tolerates going to kindergarten, it can periodically “cry”, but not for long. On average, this period lasts up to two to three months. Most often, diseases cannot be avoided at this time.

Regardless of the type of child, at first the probability of catching the virus is very high, especially on days 4-10 of being in kindergarten. Therefore, it is recommended to refrain from going to the kindergarten during this period of time.

First day

The first day is difficult, both for the child and for the parents. Here are a few tips to make this day more successful:
1. Do not be nervous and do not show your anxiety on the eve of the child's admission to kindergarten. REMEMBER! Anxiety and anxiety of parents is transferred to children.
2. Send a child to kindergarten only if he is healthy.
3. Tell the teacher about the individual characteristics of your child, what he likes and dislikes, what his skills and abilities are, what help he needs, determine what methods of reward and punishment are acceptable for your child.
4. Particularly difficult for children to endure separation from their parents if they are brought in at 8 o'clock in the morning and left until evening. In the first days of visiting the kindergarten, do not leave the child alone, stay with him for a while. It is advisable in the first days to bring the child only for a walk, where the conditions resemble those of a domestic yard; here it is easier for the child to navigate, it is easier to get to know the teacher and other children.
5. In getting used to new conditions, an important role is played by the ability to "intimate" the situation; bring your own toys. A favorite toy will capture the child's attention and help distract him from parting with loved ones. Try to persuade him to leave the toy to spend the night in the garden and meet her again in the morning. Let the toy walk with him every day and introduce others there, ask if the toy happened in kindergarten, who was friends with her, who offended her, if she was sad. In this way, you will learn a lot about how your baby manages to get used to kindergarten.
6. All the time to explain to the child that he is for you, as before, dear and loved.

First week

The first week is very emotional for the child, so adults who surround the child at home need to be patient. It may seem to you that the child's behavior suddenly changes - he becomes more capricious, in the evenings you may expect unexpected tantrums with or without a reason, scandals accompanied by screaming, crying, throwing objects and wallowing on the floor. Some parents may be horrified at the sight of such a drastic change and blame the kindergarten for it.

There may be several reasons. Firstly, indeed, adaptation to the kindergarten is a great stress for the child, his nerves are tense and they need a release. In addition, surrounded by strangers, the child often tries to restrain negative emotions, so that they splash out only in the evening on the heads of their parents.

How to help the child at this stage?
1. You should create a calm, conflict-free climate for him in the family. Spare the weakened nervous system of the child. Do not increase, but reduce the load on the nervous system - for a while, stop going to the circus, the theater, to visit. Significantly reduce TV viewing.
2. Do not react to antics and do not punish whims.
3. Don't leave your child in the garden for the whole day! The first week, drive it for 2-3 hours, then the time increases to 5-6 hours.
4. Play with your child with homemade toys in kindergarten where one of them will be the child himself. Watch what this toy does, what it says, help your child find friends for it and solve your child's problems through it, focusing the game on positive results.
5. From the very beginning, help the child to easily enter the kindergarten. After all, for the first time in his life he parted with the house, with you, moving away from you, although only for a few hours. In the first days of visiting the kindergarten, do not leave the child alone right away, it is best that he let you go. And, when parting, do not forget to assure that you will certainly return for him. Don't forget to constantly tell him that you love him.
6. When you leave - part with the child easily and quickly. Of course, you are worried about how your child will be in kindergarten, but long farewells with a worried expression on his face will cause anxiety in the child that something might happen to him here, and he will not let you go for a long time.
7. It is necessary to maintain the same daily routine on weekends as in kindergarten!
8. Do not wrap the child, but dress him as necessary in accordance with the temperature in the group.
9. If a child has difficulty separating from his mother, then it is advisable to let his father take the first few weeks to kindergarten.
10. Do not make mistakes and do not take breaks in visiting the kindergarten - a week at home will not only not help the baby adapt to the kindergarten, but will also show him that there is another option that can be pursued with all your might.

During the process, be careful and tolerant with the baby.

Adaptation

How does this very adaptation take place in general, and what, in fact, is it?

Adaptation is the adaptation of the body to a new environment, and for a child, a kindergarten is undoubtedly a new, still unknown space, with a new environment and new relationships. Adaptation includes a wide range of individual reactions, the nature of which depends on the psychophysiological and personal characteristics of the child, on the prevailing family relations, from the conditions of stay in preschool. That is, each child gets used in his own way. However, there are some patterns that I would like to tell parents about.

First, we must remember that up to 2-3 years the child does not feel the need to communicate with peers, it has not yet formed. At this age, an adult acts for the child as a partner in the game, a role model and satisfies the child's need for benevolent attention and cooperation. Peers cannot give this, because they themselves need the same.

Therefore, a normal child cannot quickly adapt to a nursery, because he is strongly attached to his mother and her disappearance causes a violent protest of the child, especially if he is impressionable and emotionally sensitive.

Children 2-3 years old experience fears of strangers and new situations of communication, which is exactly what is fully manifested in the nursery. These fears are one of the reasons for the difficult adaptation of the child to the nursery. Often, the fear of new people and situations in the nursery leads to the fact that the child becomes more excitable, vulnerable, touchy, tearful, he gets sick more often, because stress depletes the body's defenses.

By the way, boys of 3-5 years old are more vulnerable in terms of adaptation than girls, since during this period they are more attached to their mother and react more painfully to separation from her.

For emotionally undeveloped children, adaptation, on the contrary, is easy - they do not have a formed attachment to their mother. Psychologists point to the following paradox: what earlier child will be given to a preschool institution (for example, up to 1 year), the more he will be collectivist in the future. Such a child will establish primary emotional contact not with his mother, but with his peers, which is not in the best way will affect the development of his emotional sphere - in the future, such a child may not experience a deep feeling of love, affection, compassion.

Thus, the more developed emotional connection with the mother, the more difficult it will be to adapt. Unfortunately, not all children can overcome adaptation problems, which can lead to the development of neurosis in a child.

If adaptation to a nursery or kindergarten has not occurred for 1 year or more, then this is a signal to parents that the child is not all right and you need to contact a specialist. According to the observations of psychologists, the average period of adaptation in the norm is:
in the nursery - 7-10 days,
in kindergarten at 3 years old - 2-3 weeks,
in senior preschool age- 1 month.

Of course, each child reacts differently to a new situation, however, there are common features. It is always difficult for the only children in the family to get used to a kindergarten or a nursery, especially those who are overprotected, dependent on their mother, accustomed to exclusive attention, unsure of themselves.

If you notice that your child is having trouble adjusting, try talking to the teacher. Your child needs constant attention and support from his side, because other children tend to tease and offend the weaker and more dependent. At the same time, of course, the excessive exactingness and adherence to principles of the educator will be a serious brake.

On weekends, it’s good to play the homemade outdoor game “The Road from Home to Kindergarten” - a map with paths and landmark houses: “Our House”, “Mom’s Work”, “Dad’s Work”, “Shop”, “Kindergarten”. On the way from home to the garden and back, you need to memorize landmarks and, when you come home, put (put) them on the map. The child walks with his figure, the parents with theirs. Playing "The Road to Kindergarten" on the weekends, the kid does not wean from the garden, and Monday will not seem like a terrible day to him.

A complicating factor in adaptation will be conflicts in the family, uncommunicativeness of parents. Children involuntarily learn the negative traits of their parents' behavior, which complicates their relationships with peers. They behave insecurely and indecisively, worry a lot, doubt, therefore they cannot be accepted in the group.

If the child is the only one in the family, often gets sick, experiences fears, then his entry into kindergarten should be gradual. First, you need to bring him to the group, introduce him to the teacher and the guys, look at the toys together, arouse interest in the new environment and: return home. Then a few days you can bring the child to the garden and pick up before the start of daytime sleep. Depending on the behavior of the child, the time of stay should be gradually increased. At home, you should play more mobile emotional games with him, because in kindergarten the child feels constrained, tense, and if this tension is not deflated, it can cause neurosis.

Practical Tips:

– Although the kindergarten now accepts children and more younger age, the most favorable age is between 3 and 5 years.
- It happens that the child does not accept the teacher: “I won’t go to her, she screams, she’s angry,” etc. If this is repeated every day, then it remains only to sympathize and try to transfer the child to another group. Do not let him suffer and communicate with unpleasant people. The "second mother" for your child should be similar to you in their educational methods, have the ability to consider and understand the uniqueness and individuality of each child.
- Do not rush when choosing a kindergarten for your child, but be observant and prudent. It’s bad if you have to change kindergartens too often. It is better if the child visits the same kindergarten all the time. Changing it once is not terrible, but six or seven times is already harmful.
- Do not send your child to kindergarten just because you have another child, even if it makes your life easier. Your eldest son or daughter will already feel that an uninvited guest has appeared in the house, and he will certainly interpret your decision as his exile, concluding that you prefer the newborn to him. Therefore, if you, while expecting a child, still decide to send the elder to kindergarten, do it in advance, before the baby arrives.
- The most important purpose of the kindergarten is to give the child the opportunity to communicate and play with peers.
- It is necessary to strengthen the immune system for all children, without exception, and even more so for those who are going to go to kindergarten. This should be done in advance - by hardening, healing, swimming and taking vitamins. Parents also need to teach their child to self-care before he goes to kindergarten. It is good if the baby will be able to eat on his own, at least partially dress and undress and, of course, go to the potty. It is necessary to dress a child in kindergarten according to the principle of not " latest trends in fashion”, but convenience and comfort. According to the experience of parents, the most practical clothes are tights, light T-shirts or shirts (depending on the season), Velcro sandals. With you, you must definitely give a spare set (preferably several) of clothes in case of “unforeseen circumstances”. For those children who have not yet mastered the pot too well, it is necessary to leave diapers (as a rule, they are used during walks and sleep).
- At first, in no case should you leave the child in kindergarten for the whole day, and subsequently also try not to pick him up as one of the last. When going to kindergarten, it is possible and even necessary to allow the child to take any toys with him so that he does not feel the atmosphere of a “state-owned house”. Saying goodbye to a baby is a separate issue. Usually it is at this time that the child begins to act up, holds on to his mother with all his might, sometimes even screams loudly, sobs and throws tantrums. You should not forcibly drag a resisting baby into a group with angry words addressed to him (such behavior on the part of mothers occurs), but you should not delay the moment of parting either. You need to calmly kiss the baby, wave to him and "hand over" to the reliable hands of the teacher (if he himself refuses to go). Usually children, especially toddlers, cry for 5-10 minutes and calm down.
- And, finally, when the child is out of kindergarten, parents should try to devote all their time to him - to walk with him, to play so that he does not feel that he was "abandoned."
- And no matter how good the kindergarten is, do not make an irreparable mistake - do not consider that it replaces the family.

Does your child need kindergarten? Is it worth it to transfer your child to another kindergarten in severe cases? How can you help your child adjust? We'll talk about this and more.

The Problem of Adaptation

Most of the children roar in front of the kindergarten. It is easy for some to get involved, but in the evening there are tears at home, others have to be persuaded to go, they are capricious and cry before entering the kindergarten. Older children are easier and faster to adapt to new conditions.

The following factors can be the cause of children's tears:

• Fear associated with a new environment (children under 3 need double care). The child is accustomed to the house, a calm atmosphere, next to his mother. And when he gets to an unknown place, with certain rules of conduct and daily routine, he has a hard time, he experiences stress. Kindergarten instills a discipline that the child did not adhere to at home before.
• An overabundance of emotions. In kindergarten, children get a lot of new positive and negative impressions, they can get tired and because of this become nervous, whiny and capricious.
• Inability to take care of yourself.
• The child is psychologically unprepared. The reasons may be in the individual characteristics of development. Often this happens from a lack of closeness with the mother.
• The effect of a negative first impression. It affects the presence of the child in this institution.
• Rejection of your baby by kindergarten staff. Unfortunately, this is also possible.

Types of adaptation

The process of adaptation is inevitable in conditions when there is a discrepancy between our capabilities and the requirements of the environment.

There are three main types of adaptation:

• creative style, personality, active actions change and adapt the environment for themselves;
• conformal style, with this style a person has to get used to and adapt to the environment;
• avoidance style, in which a person tries to avoid solving a problem, due to unwillingness or inability to change something.

The creative style is considered the most effective, the avoidance style is considered the most ineffective.

There are also three levels of severity of the adaptation process:

• Easy adaptation- behavior returns to normal within 10 to 15 days; there is a normalized weight gain, the child, as expected, behaves in a group, attending a kindergarten, is not exposed to diseases; does not scandal, going with mom to kindergarten. Such children rarely get sick, but adaptation does not go unnoticed, disruptions are possible;
• Moderate adaptation- the adaptation process takes up to two months, short-term weight loss is possible, mental stress is likely. The child sometimes cries, but not for long. In most cases, diseases are bypassed.
• Severe adaptation lasts up to six months; children often get sick, skills and abilities disappear; the body weakens both physically and psychologically. At this time, children may have a worse appetite, disturbed sleep and urination. The child's mood changes dramatically, he becomes capricious. Such a child does not talk in kindergarten and does not play with anyone. It is unacceptable to let this situation go by itself, otherwise the child may be subjected to nervous diseases and disorders. If the adaptation process is delayed for whole year you need to contact the experts. Perhaps changing the kindergarten will be the solution to the problem.

Initially, you need to find out what exactly hinders the adaptation of your child in kindergarten. The obvious problem is quite simple to solve. But it happens that you face a whole complex of disguised problems that you cannot cope with on your own. In such a situation, it would be right to ask for the help of a professional psychologist. It is necessary to understand what experiences children experience in the process of adaptation in order to neutralize the negative ones and emphasize the positive ones. Negative emotions include fear, anger, and resentment. Of the positive ones - joy, pleasure from new experiences and acquaintances, a sense of satisfaction from independent actions.

You should not immediately leave the child for the whole day in the garden, three hours will be enough to start. The prerequisite is that child should know exact time your return, so that he does not feel abandoned. Agree on what the baby will do without you. It is better to say goodbye jokingly, with laughter. Just do not try to burst into tears in a fit of feelings before leaving. Let your little one bring their favorite toy with them, so they won't be alone.

A little trick can also help: have your child be taken to kindergarten by a grandmother, aunt, or other relative. In this case, the moment of farewell will be experienced more easily.

Undoubtedly, this unfamiliar period for you must be experienced together. Ask your child about everything, about interesting games, new acquaintances. Help in difficulties, praise for achievements. Tell me how bad it was for you without him. Children should feel that they are supported and in no case left. Emphasize how he has become an adult, independent, now he has responsibilities to go somewhere, like mom and dad. Before lights out, additionally say the good moments from visiting the kindergarten, agree to repeat them again tomorrow. To make it easy to wake the child in the kindergarten, it is better to put him to rest early.

Common mistakes parents make

One of the common mistakes is the usual lack of desire to be aware of the problem or unpreparedness for the fact that the reaction of the child may be negative. Parents may think that these are just whims of the child, a way to attract attention. “I went and everything is fine,” many people think like that, not remembering that they were also stressed at first. Moms and dads are not ready for the fact that the child does not obey, does not eat, does not sleep. From this, there are frequent mistakes in the form of punishment or scolding, which only worsens the situation.

Another common mistake is a decrease in the attention of parents, indifference to the affairs of the child, thinking that everything is fine in kindergarten, relying on educators. The child may have a feeling that no one needs him and is abandoned. In such a situation, the child is left alone with stress, which can cause unjustified aggression in an attempt to stand up for himself, or vice versa, the child will withdraw, withdraw and become nervous.

As I said, parting should take place with humor and fun. Sometimes mothers try to leave when the baby is busy with something. Having finished his business, the baby understands that his mother has left, and when she returns, he does not know. This circumstance frightens him greatly, the child thinks that he can at least once be left alone, and this can lead to severe psychological trauma.

You should not promise a reward for just visiting the kindergarten. Further, this can lead to blackmail on the part of the child. But for excellent deeds in the garden or for something specific, it is recommended to praise. Also, you should not express your dissatisfaction about the kindergarten or teachers in the presence of the child - the baby may feel that the kindergarten is not such a good place and that it can be bad for him there.

It is forbidden to rapidly change the environment of the baby. Adaptation should be smooth and deliberate. A quick change in the daily routine and habits of the baby is unacceptable. All these circumstances can cause certain mental disorders.

Tips for parents to prepare their child for kindergarten

What is the best age to start kindergarten?

The opinions of experts about when it is better to send a child to kindergarten agree - at three or even four years. After three years, the child has a desire to actively interact with other children. In addition, after three years, children usually begin to speak better, they can learn to negotiate and communicate with each other. They are also already able to tell you about how they spent their day, what made them sad or happy.

Of course, all people have different opportunities, and not everyone can be on maternity leave for so long. An alternative option is the short stay group or junior group. There are such groups in almost all gardens.

What should a child be able to do when entering kindergarten?

First of all, a baby leaving kindergarten must be able to take care of himself: be able to dress himself, be able to eat, go to the potty, wash and dry himself. Of course, an adult teacher will help you button up the buttons and tie the shoelaces, but you don’t need to think that she will always dress and spoon-feed all fifteen little ones! Such a task is simply not feasible for the teacher.

It should be emphasized that 2 years is the most favorable period to train to be independent. It is necessary to conduct classes from 2-3 years. The mental development of the child during this period contributes to this. No wonder they say that the third year of development in a baby is called “I can do it myself!”. At this time, the child does not even need to be asked to do something himself - he only wants this himself, stubbornly and fearlessly insisting on his right to do the job on his own and get great satisfaction from the result.

Often, mothers and fathers of such a child should make sure that they themselves do not interfere with his independence. This is probably the most important thing in this process! At the age of three, the child becomes independent: he eats and drinks, washes and brushes his teeth, dresses and undresses, goes to the potty on time. Now he easily removes toys, wipes the table with a rag, carefully folds clothes.

Do you have a hard time believing this? But it is a fact, and more than that, in order to achieve such success, you do not need to make any incredible efforts, only one thing - do not interfere! Do not pull on his arms, do not follow his every step, do not even try to do something for him, although it seems to you that he is still too small.

Of course, in real life this is not so easy to do. It won't take long for everything to turn out perfect, there will be a lot of trial and error. The most important thing is patience. Not every mother is able to patiently watch the numerous attempts of her child. But it's worth it, your patience and attention will return to you in full.

In any family, sooner or later the time comes to send the child to a child care institution. The reasons are very different. Most often, it’s just time for mom to go to work, as parental leave is coming to an end. The temperament and home habits of all children are different, so they endure a new environment for themselves in the same way: someone easily gets used to and makes contact with caregivers and other children, while for others this process is painful.

This article will be devoted to the question of how to adapt a child to kindergarten.

Why do parents send young children to kindergarten?

In some families, the child is sent to kindergarten before the age of three. This can be done for several reasons:

• the child himself is so eager to go to the garden that he literally forces his parents to take him there;
• it is easier for the mother to cope with the adaptation period and help the child in this, because she will not have to go to work for a few more months, which means she will be able to pick up her baby early;
• the family is short of money, and the food in the kindergarten is much more varied and high in calories than homemade, and much more.

Whatever the reason for sending your child to this government agency in each case, parents should take into account the peculiarities of the child's adaptation to kindergarten, to new conditions for the baby. Some children do better than others, but in the end, 99% of babies successfully adapt to changes in life.

Benefits of Kindergarten for Toddlers

Until school age begins, parents are in fact the only authority for the child. But it is important to remember that from the age of three, a child should begin to communicate with peers, develop sociability and sociability. Kindergarten fully copes with this task, providing a lot of opportunities. The main problem is the question of how best to adapt the child to kindergarten.

Advantages of the children's community:

1. In a team of peers, it is much easier for a child to learn and understand self-care skills: learn to put on clothes on their own, clean things and toys after themselves, and learn to follow the rules of personal hygiene.
2. Thanks to being in kindergarten, children develop communication skills, kids learn to reckon with common interests and work in collaboration with other children. The successful adaptation of a child in kindergarten is especially important for the development of these skills in children who are the only ones in the family.
3. The attitude from infancy "I - mine" passes into the understanding of "ours - common". Children begin to willingly help others, share toys.
4. Children receive various information and experience, which contributes to the rapid development of speech, logical thinking, musical abilities and artistic inclinations.

Every mother who intends to soon take her child to kindergarten should think over the process of helping the child during the adaptation period in advance. There are several tips from psychologists and educators on this matter:

1. It is not necessary to arrange from visiting a kindergarten. You need to try to explain in advance to the baby where he is going, why, what he will do there, and so on.
2. It is desirable to know sample program development of children adopted in the garden, and begin to acquaint the child with its key points. This is important for solving the problem of how to facilitate the child's adaptation to kindergarten.
3. All explanations should be as simple as possible, with a positive attitude, in order to interest the child in the garden.
4. If housing is located near a kindergarten, you need to walk more often on its territory.
5. It’s good to get to know the educators who are recruiting a group in advance and introduce the baby to them. And what better baby recognizes the teacher before he stays with him without a mother, so it will be easier for him in the future.

Regarding the strengthening of the health of the baby, before starting to visit the garden, you should pay attention to the following tips for adapting the child to kindergarten:

1. First of all, you should prepare the child's immune system for an early meeting with new viruses. Most likely, the baby will still be sick for some time.
2. When the family goes on vacation in the summer, it is better to give preference to the climatic zone that is available in the territory of permanent residence, so as not to experience acclimatization. If a trip to the sea is planned, the vacation should be calculated in such a way that the child stays on the coast for a whole month (and not seven days, as most often happens). It is important to know how to adapt a child to kindergarten for health, as the crumbs' immune system works at full capacity, adapting to changes, and instead of healing, the condition worsens in the first five days. Therefore, if for financial or any other reasons it is not possible to provide the child with thirty days of stay at sea, it is better to refuse to visit him at all (at least in the year when the baby starts attending kindergarten).

How to make it easier for educators

There is no need to think that it is only for parents that the adaptation of children to kindergarten is a big problem. For educators, this is also a difficult process, and parents can help them and their children. You need to remember the following:

1. Do not think that educators are obliged to teach the child all the skills he needs themselves. This is the child of his parents, and the more independent skills they instill in him at home, the easier and faster will be the adaptation to the new environment.
2. You should start observing the daily routine at home adopted in kindergarten, at least two months before the start of his visit, so that the baby has time to get used to a certain ordered system of actions, as well as to the order in which these actions should be performed. This will easily help solve the problem of how to adapt a child to kindergarten.
3. You need to try as early as possible to start developing your child socially: to instill in him the skills to speak correctly, to be able to ask questions and answer them. To do this, it is useful to attend early childhood development clubs.

The duration of the adaptation period

Many parents are interested in the question of how long it takes for a child to adapt to kindergarten. There is no definite answer to it, since a lot depends not only on adults, but also on the nature of the baby, as well as his environment and the period of preparation for the first day of going to a children's institution. So, for example, there are special adaptation clubs where you can give your baby before going to kindergarten with him.

It may happen that only one child of a similar age attends the early childhood development club closest to home. For a start, it is suitable, but after a month the institution will have to be changed.

A group with an average attendance of 5-7 children of the age of a child is ideal, where parents are allowed only for the first 1-3 classes, and then they work with the children on their own. It would be nice if there is video surveillance, and parents, being in the waiting room, control the learning process of their child. This will instill in the child the ability to obey new adults, communicate with peers and gently prepare the immune system to meet the new microflora.

At best, the adaptation of young children to kindergarten takes place over the course of a month, sometimes the period reaches three to four months, and for some children a couple of weeks is enough.

Changes in behavior

For every mother, her child is the best, most beloved and most obedient. He does not scream or be naughty at home, fulfills all requests and helps his mother, goes to bed on time and plays on his own. But then the child went to kindergarten, and everything changed beyond recognition: the baby began to scream, or, on the contrary, calmed down completely, stopped helping, dress or undress on his own, forgot the skill of using the potty, perhaps he even began to beat his mother, bite and break the dishes …

The list of possible changes is endless. This is all a sign of the ongoing adaptation of the child to the new environment. It is not worth sounding the alarm, all this is natural and predictable.

What to do if behavior has changed

Regardless of how long the garden lasts, parents will soon begin to notice changes in the behavior of the baby. This is where the following tips can come in handy:

1. The first thing psychologists advise is to be patient. At first (from two weeks to three months), children cry, change their behavior, become aggressive. They are protesting against the destruction of their usual comfortable and safe living environment.
2. Do not leave your child in kindergarten all of a sudden. It is easy to captivate a little man with something new, and he will willingly go to a group without tears and screams, becoming interested new toy. But if the mother, in joy from such behavior, leaves without saying goodbye, the baby may throw a tantrum the next day at the mere mention of the kindergarten. He does not understand where the mother disappeared to the previous day, the problem of adapting the child to kindergarten in this case may be aggravated.
3. Perhaps the baby will stick to the parents both mentally and physically, and will only let go with a roar. This is a normal reaction to too abrupt a change in life. Do not immediately leave the child for the whole day. Better at first - for an hour or two, then before lunch. From the second week you can already leave it for the whole day.

Preparatory games

At the age of three, most often children still do not understand explanations, notations and shouts. For them, all learning takes place through the game, and this feature can be used to your advantage and think about how to quickly adapt the child to kindergarten.

With a certain regularity, it is worth carrying out with a child role play“mouse-baby visits kindergarten” (instead of a mouse, any toy that the baby loves the most can be taken). The purpose of this game is to make the baby feel safe, comfortable and interested in the garden. The most important thing is that if there is no time to play, it is better not to start it today, because each a new game into a mouse-baby must necessarily end with the arrival of mom, a hug, a kiss and going home. It is important to remember and understand how to properly adapt the child to kindergarten.

It is better to skip some (washing hands, walking) than to stop the game until the evening arrival of mom. You can invite your child to tell the little mouse himself how good it is in the kindergarten, why he goes there. Let the baby become an older brother / sister for the mouse and protect him. Parents at this time need to listen very carefully to what the child will say. Most often, persuading a toy, children describe their problems and experiences, and having understood your child, you can better help him survive the difficulties of adaptation.

How to make it easier for a child to adapt to kindergarten

You can help the adaptation problem in the following ways:

1. Allow the child to take home toys with him the next day (if it is not prohibited in the garden), he will show her his locker, crib, high chair. Let him plant a pet next to him in the classroom, because in this case it is not just a toy, but a part of the house, a mother substitute.
2. A visit to a preschool is a huge stress for the crumbs, even if he does not show it outwardly. He cannot relax with caregivers, he is afraid to do something wrong. For this reason, having come home, the child may be capricious - he "throws off" the stress accumulated during the day. You can cope with this by increasing the physical activity of the baby, games.
3. When you go to pick up your child, you can take a soccer ball with you or ask friends who have a dog to come with you. The child will be just happy to play outdoor games with his parents or run a dog in the fresh air. Thus, he will relieve stress, get tired and easily fall asleep.

Why do you need sleep

To answer the question of how to adapt a child to kindergarten, one should be aware of the importance of adequate sleep. The more the child sleeps, the better. At first, he can wake up in the middle of the night, cry, scream, rush to his mother in fear that she will not pick him up next time. In the first two weeks, children often dream about this, especially if contact with caregivers is not found. Be patient - it will pass.

During sleep, the body rests and restores emotional and physical strength, so this time is very important.

Parental behavior

Since the parents themselves should first of all facilitate the adaptation of the child to kindergarten, a lot depends on their behavior during this difficult period. Often they themselves are to blame for the protracted adaptation of the child.

If they scold the kindergarten or the teacher in front of the baby, scare him with a garden, if they discuss bad behavior with all relatives, and do not show good behavior to anyone, then the child will be doubly hard. He needs support, not censure, and considers this behavior of his mother as a betrayal.

It’s better to forget about tears completely and just ignore them, distracting you with a game. In the presence of the crumbs, it is necessary to praise the kindergarten, educators, and other workers. Focus on how well the baby adapts, what (albeit small) successes he has today, what he can achieve in a month, a week, by the end of the year. This will help solve the problem of how to quickly adapt the child to kindergarten.

You need to come up with your own special ritual of farewell and meeting with the baby, discuss the details with him and teach him to observe them. Then the child will develop the habit of saying goodbye without tears, going to bed on their own, asking the teacher for leave when they came for him.

Conclusion

The key to successful adaptation of the child is the calmness and confidence of parents in a positive end result. The child "reads" the information and becomes calmer. Therefore, if a mother cannot look at children's tears, moreover, she subconsciously expects them all the time, let the father or another, more calm-minded family member take the first month or two of the child.

Kindergarten is the child's first step into the future independent life. It is in this institution that the baby first fully integrates into society, learns to communicate and interact with a large team of his peers, follow a strict daily routine, and begin to learn a lot of new and interesting things.

As practice shows, many children have a hard time accepting the period of primary adaptation to kindergarten - a new environment, the absence of parents, an orderly system of new requirements for discipline and behavior, other factors literally fall on the child like an avalanche. How to adapt the child to kindergarten? Is it possible to replace preschool education with home education? At what age is it better to take a baby? You will read about this and much more in our article.

Adapting a child to kindergarten is a complex process that allows children to easily and easily enter a new social environment for themselves, as well as to respond correctly to various situations. Adaptation of the child to the kindergarten cannot occur in one or even several days - the necessary measures are carried out in stages. The basic points of this process usually include:

1. Preliminary psychological preparation for the future fact of the child entering the kindergarten. The child must understand why it is necessary to visit this institution, what can be expected there. An important contribution to this process is made by imitation of being in an institution, carried out as an entertaining game. Making an obligatory emphasis on the advantages of visiting a kindergarten (new acquaintances, interesting pastime, and so on), it is also necessary to clearly identify possible negative points (quarrels with peers, sadness for parents, and so on), as well as teach the child to respond correctly to them.
2. The development of independence. One of the most important points of primary adaptation involves the development in the child of the necessary skills for independence. Naturally, this is not easy to do at an early age (especially if the baby in the family was surrounded by vigilant comprehensive care), however, when entering a group, the child should be able to eat, dress and go to the toilet without outside help. It does not matter if the child does not succeed (for some time, the teacher and the nanny provide partial assistance) - the main thing is to lay the right basis for further development in this context.
3. Flexible approach to adaptation and reward system. Infusion into a new social environment occurs gradually, over weeks, sometimes even months. Even small successes of the baby in this field should be encouraged with the parallel formation of a positive attitude towards the children's institution in the child.
4. Help with finding friends. After the child adapts minimally with the very fact of being in a preschool on a regular basis, he will need friends. It is necessary to explain in an accessible form to the kid about the importance of good relationships with classmates, to show how to make friends correctly (sharing toys, talking, playing children's games, and so on).
5. The physical preparation of the child. Getting into a new social environment for himself, the baby is exposed to greater health risks, as a rule, he starts to get sick more often (due to being close to big group other children). Protection against potential infections, right choice clothes, hardening, compliance with the necessary regime of daily rhythms outside the preschool institution - these are the main priorities of this item.

Modern and social educators recommend sending the child to kindergarten from 3-4 years old - starting from this period of time, the baby already receives all the necessary independence skills, is more resistant to stress, is socially flexible and has passed the so-called "early age crisis".

However, this does not mean that it is forbidden to take children aged 2.5 and even 2 years old to preschool. Each child is individual. Some kids in these years master the necessary minimum of skills necessary for kindergarten, other situations do not allow parents to stay with the child for a very long time (the need to go to work, other circumstances).

Adaptation of children to kindergarten in these cases has a number of features:

• Forced preliminary preparation for infusion into a new society. You need to start it in advance, psychologically setting up the baby for the fact that the child will soon go to kindergarten. It is better to carry it out in the most playful and soft form;
• Longer initial adaptation. The child needs more time to get used to the new environment. In addition to study tours to the kindergarten, it is necessary to leave the baby in the group for 1–2 hours for a short time - first with one of the parents (so that he is present nearby within sight), and then on his own. Such a primary adaptation with a gradual increase in the time the child is present in a preschool institution can last up to a month and a half, up to a full day;
• Comprehensive self-skills training. In the case of an early exit of the child to kindergarten, the acquisition of independent skills in dressing, eating, going to the toilet, the ability to wash and wash hands, cannot be left to chance, relying on the natural development of these capabilities. The educator and nanny may simply not have so much time to teach your child (given the high occupancy of modern preschool groups) - all this needs to be mastered at home.

The first days, sometimes even weeks of a baby in kindergarten are a difficult test, both for the child and for his parents. In order to pass this period as quickly and less painfully as possible, it is necessary to competently and comprehensively approach the process of adaptation of the child. There is no universal approach in this situation, and possible actions on your part should be correlated with the individual characteristics of the character and physiology of the child, as well as taking into account his age.

Adaptation of a child of 2 years in kindergarten

2 years is a special age for a child, when he first checks the boundaries of what is permitted, realizing himself as an independent person. Protest behavior, frequent whims and disobedience only superficially resemble a systemic change in character - as psychological practice shows, all outbursts of anger and instability of behavior in general are spontaneous and depend on the circumstances.

It is usually recommended at this stage of the development of the baby not to take the child to kindergarten, but to wait until 2.5-3 years. However, if for a number of reasons it is not possible to follow this recommendation, then complex work is needed on the part of parents, which will help the child quickly adapt to a preschool institution.

• Psychological preparation. Explain and clearly show the child what a kindergarten is, visit its surroundings regularly, let the child watch the children for a walk. Tell us what the kids are doing in the kindergarten (play, eat, sleep, walk). As an addition, play kindergarten at home using dolls or soldiers, distributing the roles of educators, children, parents. So the child will form the first positive image of the preschool educational institution;
• Accelerated development of independence skills. Do not be afraid to teach your child how to use the potty, dress and undress, use a fork, spoon, wash, encouraging him in every possible way for even small successes. For future visits to kindergarten, choose the most comfortable and simple clothes that the baby can take off and put on on their own. By the beginning of full-fledged visits to a preschool institution, the child should have the basis of theoretical and practical knowledge listed above. Of course, he will not be able to fully use them, but he must know the principles in order to further develop his independence skills with the help of a teacher or a nanny;
• Mode and nutrition. Adjust the household daily rhythms of the family in accordance with the daily routine in kindergarten. Morning rise, breakfast, walk, lunch, daytime sleep, afternoon snack and other stages should be as correlated as possible with the current schedule of the preschool educational institution, moreover, both on weekdays and on weekends;
• Gradual introduction to the team. At the first stage of the actual visit to a preschool institution, it is necessary to leave the child for a maximum of 1-2 hours every working day, and then gradually increase this time interval. After two to three weeks and the passage of the afternoon nap phase, you will feel better, after some more time, you can switch to a full-fledged schedule. In children 2 years old, this stage is quite long and can take up to one and a half or even 2 months.

Adaptation of a child of 3 years in kindergarten

At the age of three, the child already has good gross and fine motor skills, has basic self-care skills, loves collective and outdoor games, both role-playing and classic. A keen interest in peers allows you to quickly make friends and learn the right social norms. That is why psychologists recommend sending a child to kindergarten from this age.

What help can parents provide in the context of the child's adaptation to preschool?

• Sharpening self-service skills. Despite the fact that a child at 3 years old usually has the necessary minimum of self-care, it is necessary to continue to hone these skills so that the process of dressing, undressing, eating, washing hands and other procedures is carried out by him completely independently. When you get into a mixed group with children aged 2 to 4 years, the teacher and nanny will first of all help the smallest kids in mastering, so the older child must do everything himself;
• Dynamic adaptation to the daily routine and regular visits to preschool educational institutions. The child needs to develop the habit of constantly attending kindergarten, getting up, eating and sleeping at the same time so as not to disturb the daily routine of the preschool institution. In the first week, the baby can stay in the group for only a few hours, up to a maximum of daytime sleep, and only after some time it is worth transferring him to a full-time stay in the kindergarten;
• encouragement and communication. A typical problem of a child's adaptation to kindergarten is the difficulty of parting with his parents and the painful reaction to parting, especially with his mother. In this case, you should definitely emphasize that the mother will definitely return for her child, designate a specific time. When taking the baby from the group, ask him in detail about all the events that happened that day, praise, give advice - the child should know that in any situation, even difficult for him, he has someone to rely on.

Unlike nationwide compulsory schooling, kindergarten attendance is voluntary, which gives parents the potential for an alternative home education of their child as a substitute for preschool education. What are the main pros and cons of this event?

Advantages:

• The child is under constant parental control, is less exposed to various stresses;
• The kid has a free daily schedule - he wakes up when he wants, eats homemade food not according to a rigid schedule, but when his parents decide;
• Potential for more in-depth development. If one parent is constantly at home and has the appropriate skills, he can better develop the child's individual ability (such as love for music, sports endeavors and so on);
• Reducing the risk of mass infectious diseases. Since the child is not constantly present in a group with a large number of children, he will be less likely to be at risk of contracting infectious diseases.

Flaws:

• Lack of full integration into society. Even long walks and playing on playgrounds, as well as visits to special institutions early development children, cannot fully replace the regular presence in a group of their peers, where social norms of behavior, interaction with each other, the ability to respond correctly to various life situations are developed;
• Lack of a standardized educational process. Unfortunately, in most domestic families where the child does not attend a preschool educational institution, the educational process as such is absent for various reasons ( the large family, various life situations), as a result, the child is left to himself and does not receive a guaranteed preschool educational minimum. This problem will come around already in the first grade - a lack of discipline, a lack of understanding of the role of the teacher as the main mentor who replaced the teacher, non-compliance with the set of rules of the educational institution, and so on;
• Potential health risks in the medium term. If a child does not attend preschool before school, then he has less contact with various infections, including rarely getting sick with classic “childhood” diseases. However, this fact makes itself felt later - the immune system does not develop a sufficiently extensive immune defense against such problems, and the baby, being already placed in the school society, begins to get sick more often than his peers.

We develop independence

Before entering kindergarten, the baby must have at least basic self-care skills - we are not talking about full independence at such a young age. Recommended minimum includes:

• Ability to ask and go to the toilet. It is advisable to accustom the baby to at least a potty, as well as to report in time about the desire to go for a small or big need. For the nursery and the very elementary DOW groups this is usually sufficient;
• Dressing and undressing. The child must be able to take off his clothes/shoes and put them on. Start mastering this skill in a playful way, help only if the child cannot cope with the process for a long period of time, but do not do everything for him - he should take at least minimal participation in the event. To facilitate this process, choose the most simple things without a lot of buttons and fasteners, loosely sitting on the baby. Dress in kindergarten only according to the weather;
• Eating food. The child must be able to use a fork, spoon and plates - supplementary feeding is not practiced in the kindergarten (unless it is a specialized nursery for children from 1 year old). Try to teach him to be careful, and also adapt the daily diet to the standard preschool menu as much as possible so that your baby does not refuse unfamiliar food;
• Personal hygiene. Another obligatory item is the ability to wash hands, feet, wipe, wash. The basic rules of personal self-hygiene should be instilled from early childhood, in parallel with the other above-mentioned activities. Show in practice how to do it correctly, use educational books or cartoons.

Protecting against infections in kindergarten

A typical problem in the first year of kindergarten is frequent illnesses baby. Various infections do not allow the child to be constantly present in the group, often the number of days missed due to illness can be calculated in weeks and even months.

It should be understood that this process is natural - the child is in contact with other children, constantly being in close contact with classmates. The immune system gradually develops protection towards the most. How to facilitate this process and get sick less?

• Proper selection of clothing. The child should not overcool, but also not overheat both in the group and on the street during walks. Wear it exclusively for the weather (focusing on yourself +1 additional layer), as well as the current temperature regime in the group itself - often in winter the premises of the preschool educational institution are heated very strongly, and in spring or autumn, on the contrary, it is rather cool;
• Balanced diet. The kid should consume vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and other healthy foods in sufficient quantities in order to harmoniously develop physically and maintain immunity with the natural intake of essential vitamins and microelements;
• hardening. Regular walks in the fresh air, airing rooms and other activities will help the thermoregulatory mechanisms of the baby's body to work correctly;
• Timely visit to the doctor. Even with minor signs of illness, you should immediately contact a pediatrician - proper treatment will reduce the risk of complications;
• Additional measures. During the period of mass epidemics, you can give the child special action vitamin and mineral complexes, to produce preventive support with antiviral agents, interferons.

Below are listed typical mistakes parents on the implementation of the adaptation of the child to a future visit to kindergarten:

• Haste. If the baby should start regular visits to preschool from day to day, but is not prepared for this event in any way, then it is simply impossible to make up for lost time in a few days - it is better to postpone the event until the child is really ready;
• Excessive persistence. Often, strict parents mentally put pressure on the baby and set him an unnecessarily high bar of requirements - this is unacceptable;
• Ignoring the opinion of the child. If the baby has too active resistance (psychological and physical) to going to kindergarten, he should be understood and taken into account. The child's opinion about the need to attend kindergarten must be formed gently, otherwise regular attendance at a preschool educational institution can become a common joint torture with prolonged tantrums and other problems.

Before entering kindergarten, the child must undergo a comprehensive medical examination. One of his points is a visit to a psychologist. Why is it necessary?

A qualified specialist conducts a 15-20 minute conversation with the baby and parents about the child's readiness to enter kindergarten. This event has game form, a specialized doctor evaluates the child's behavior, his psychomotor reactions and other features, and conducts express screening.

At the end of the physical examination, the psychologist can issue his recommendation on the advisability of visiting a preschool institution. It should be understood that the record made by the psychologist is by no means a prescription (the decision on the possibility or impossibility of visiting a preschool educational institution in controversial cases is taken by the medical board), but allows parents to pay attention to certain problems in the upbringing, development, and speech therapy of the baby.

In general terms, this process is understood as the adaptation of an individual to a new environment and conditions. Such changes affect the psyche of any person, including babies who are forced to adapt to the garden.

It is necessary to understand in more detail what constitutes adaptation to kindergarten. First of all, it is required from a child of huge energy costs, as a result of which the child's body is overstrained. In addition, the changed living conditions cannot be discounted, namely:

• mothers and fathers and other relatives are absent nearby;
• it is necessary to follow a clear daily routine;
• need to interact with other children;
• the amount of time devoted to a particular child decreases (the teacher communicates simultaneously with 15-20 kids);
• the baby is forced to obey the requirements of other people's adults.

So, the life of the baby changes radically. In addition, the adaptation process is often fraught with undesirable changes in the child's body, which are externally expressed in the form of disturbed behavioral norms and "bad" deeds.

The stressful state in which the child is, trying to adapt to the changed conditions, is expressed by the following states:

• disturbed sleep- the child wakes up with tears and refuses to fall asleep;
• decreased appetite (or lack thereof)- the child does not want to try unfamiliar dishes;
• regression of psychological skills- a child who previously speaks, knows how to dress, use cutlery, go to the potty, “loses” such skills;
• decreased cognitive interest- kids are not interested in new play accessories and peers;
• aggression or apathy- active children suddenly reduce activity, and previously calm kids show aggressiveness;
• decreased immunity- during the period of adaptation small child by kindergarten, resistance to infectious diseases decreases.

Thus, the adaptation process is a complex phenomenon, during which the child's behavior can change dramatically. As you get used to the kindergarten, such problems disappear or are significantly smoothed out.

Degrees of adaptation

The process of adaptation of the child in kindergarten can proceed in different ways. Some children are more likely to get used to the changed environment, while others disturb their parents for a long time with negative behavioral reactions. It is by the severity and duration of the above problems that the success of the adaptation process is judged.

Psychologists distinguish several degrees of the adaptation process, characteristic of preschool children.

In this case, the baby joins the children's team in 2 to 4 weeks. This type of adaptation is typical for most children and is characterized by the accelerated disappearance of negative behavioral reactions. You can judge that the baby easily gets used to the kindergarten, according to the following features:

• he enters and stays in the group room without tears;
• when addressing, looks into the eyes of teachers;
• able to voice a request for help;
• the first to make contact with peers;
• able to occupy himself for a short period of time;
• easily adapts to the daily routine;
• adequately responds to educational approving or disapproving remarks;
• tells the parents how the classes in the garden went.

How long is the adaptation period in kindergarten in this case? At least 1.5 months. At the same time, the child often gets sick, demonstrates pronounced negative reactions, but it is impossible to talk about his maladjustment and inability to join the team.

When observing a child, it can be noted that he:

• parts with mother with difficulty, cries a little after separation;
• when distracted, he forgets about parting and joins the game;
• communicates with peers and educator;
• adheres to the announced rules and regulations;
• adequately responds to comments;
• rarely becomes the instigator of conflict situations.

Heavy adaptation

Toddlers with a severe type of adaptation process are quite rare, but they can be easily found in the children's team. Some of them show open aggression when visiting the kindergarten, while others withdraw into themselves, demonstrating complete detachment from what is happening. The duration of addiction can range from 2 months to several years. In especially severe cases, they speak of complete maladaptation and the impossibility of visiting a preschool institution.

The main features of a child with a severe degree of adaptation:

• unwillingness to contact peers and adults;
• tears, tantrums, stupor when parting with parents for a long time;
• refusal to enter the playing area from the locker room;
• unwillingness to play, eat, go to bed;
• aggressiveness or isolation;
• inadequate response to the teacher's appeal to him (tears or fear).

It should be understood that absolute inability to kindergarten is an extremely rare phenomenon, so you need to contact specialists (a psychologist, a neurologist, a pediatrician) and work out a plan of action together. In some cases, doctors may advise you to postpone your visit to the preschool educational institution.

What influences the child's adaptation?

So, the period of adaptation of kids in kindergarten always proceeds in different ways. But what influences its success? To the number critical factors experts attribute age characteristics, child health, degree of socialization, level cognitive development etc.

Often, parents, trying to get to work early, send the baby to kindergarten at two years old, or even earlier. However, more often than not, such a step does not bring much benefit, since the young child is not yet able to interact with peers.

Of course, every child is a bright individual, however, according to many psychologists, it is possible to single out the optimal age interval that is most suitable for getting used to kindergarten - and this is 3 years.

It's all about the so-called crisis period of three years. As soon as the baby passes this stage, his level of independence increases, the psychological dependence on the mother decreases, therefore, it is much easier for him to part with her for several hours.

Why not rush to send your child to a preschool? At the age of 1 - 3 years, the formation of parent-child relationships and attachment to the mother takes place. That is why a long separation from the latter causes a nervous breakdown in the baby and violates the basic trust in the world.

In addition, it is impossible not to note the great independence of three-year-olds: they, as a rule, have potty etiquette, know how to drink from a cup, some children are already trying to dress themselves. Such skills greatly facilitate getting used to the garden.

Health status

Children with serious chronic diseases (asthma, diabetes, etc.) quite often experience difficulties with addiction due to the characteristics of the body and increased psychological connection with their parents.

The same applies to children who often and for a long time get sick. Such babies require special conditions, reduced workloads and supervision of medical personnel. That is why experts recommend giving them to the kindergarten later, especially since due to pain, the regimen of visiting preschool educational institutions will be violated.

The main problems of adaptation of sick children in the nursery group:

• an even greater decrease in immunity;
• increased susceptibility to infections;
• increased emotional lability (periods of tearfulness, exhaustion);
• the occurrence of unusual aggressiveness, increased activity or, conversely, slowness.

Before entering a preschool institution, children are required to undergo a medical examination. There is no need to be afraid of this, on the contrary, parents will once again have the opportunity to consult with doctors about how to survive adaptation with minimal losses.

Degree of psychological development

Another point that can prevent successful addiction to DOW is the deviation from the average indicators of cognitive development. Moreover, it can lead to maladaptation as a delayed mental development, and giftedness.

In case of mental retardation, special correctional programs are used to help fill gaps in knowledge and increase cognitive activity kids. Under favorable conditions, such children catch up with their peers by school age.

A gifted child, surprisingly, also falls into the risk group, since his cognitive abilities are higher than those of his peers, in addition, he may experience difficulties with socialization and communication with classmates.

Level of socialization

Adaptation of the child to kindergarten involves the growth of contacts with peers and with unfamiliar adults. At the same time, there is a certain pattern - those kids whose social circle was not limited to their parents and grandmothers are more likely to get used to the new society.

Those children who rarely interacted with other children, on the contrary, find it difficult to adapt to changing conditions. Weak communication skills, inability to resolve conflict situations causes an increase in anxiety and leads to reluctance to attend kindergarten.

Of course, this factor largely depends on the teachers. If the teacher gets along well with the child, adaptation will noticeably accelerate. That is why, if there is such an opportunity, you should enroll in a group with that teacher, reviews of which are most often positive.

Stages of adaptation of a small child to kindergarten

The adaptation of children is a heterogeneous process, therefore, experts distinguish several periods characterized by the severity of negative reactions. Of course, such a division is rather arbitrary, but it helps to understand how successful addiction will be.

The first stage is the sharp one. Its main feature is the maximum mobilization of the child's body. The child is constantly excited and tense, it is not surprising that parents and teachers note tearfulness, nervousness, capriciousness and even hysteria.

In addition to psychological changes, physiological changes can also be detected. In some cases, there is an increase or decrease in heart rate, blood pressure indicators. Increased susceptibility to infections.

The second phase is called moderately acute, since the severity of negative reactions decreases, and the child adapts to the changed conditions. There is a decrease in the excitability and nervousness of the baby, an improvement in appetite, sleep, and the normalization of the psycho-emotional sphere.

However, it is not yet possible to talk about a complete stabilization of the state. Throughout this period, it is possible to return negative emotions, the appearance of unwanted reactions in the form of tantrums, tearfulness or unwillingness to part with their parents.

The third stage is compensated - stabilizes the child's condition. In the final adaptation period, there is a complete restoration of psychophysiological reactions, the child successfully joins the team. Moreover, he may acquire new skills, such as using the potty or dressing himself.

How to adapt a child to kindergarten? 6 useful skills for a kindergartner

In order for the addiction process to be as successful as possible, quickly and painlessly, experts advise instilling the most important skills in advance in the future preschool child. That is why parents should know what it is desirable to teach a child going to preschool.

1. Dress and undress independently. Ideally, three-year-olds should already take off their swimming trunks, socks, tights, put on a T-shirt and blouse, jacket. Difficulties can arise with fasteners, but you should still accustom them to them. To do this, you can buy lacing toys. In addition, hang pictures of the dressing sequence in the room (you can download them for free on the Internet).
2. Use a spoon/fork. Facilitating addiction contributes to the ability to wield cutlery. To do this, you need to abandon drinking bowls, bottles, non-spills, which do not contribute to rapid maturation.
3. Ask and go to the potty. You should get rid of diapers already at the age of one and a half years, especially since the ability to ask and go to the night vase will greatly simplify adaptation, since the child will feel more confident among skillful peers.
4. Accept different foods. Many three-year-olds are characterized by selectivity in food. Ideally, parents should bring the home menu closer to the garden menu. Then breakfasts and lunches in the preschool educational institution will not resemble a war between children and educators.
5. Communicate with adults. Quite often you can hear the peculiar speech of the child, which is understandable only to the mother. Some babies generally communicate with gestures, rightly believing that their parents will understand everything. Before the garden, you should follow the decrease in babbling words and gestures.
6. Play with children. To improve the communication skills of the child, it is necessary to introduce him to the children's team more often. Psychologists advise regularly visiting families with small children, walking on playgrounds, playing in the sandbox.

In nurseries and kindergartens there are special adaptation groups for future preschoolers. Be sure to find out if such a service is available in your preschool. A visit to such groups will introduce the child to the caregivers, the building itself and the new rules of conduct.

Advice to parents on adjusting their children often includes the advice to talk more with your child about preschool. But how to do it right and what should you talk about with the baby in order to facilitate future addiction?

1. Explain in the simplest possible language what a kindergarten is, why children go there, why it is so important to attend it. The simplest example: "The kindergarten is a big house for kids who eat, play and walk together while their parents work."
2. Tell your child that kindergarten is a kind of work for children. That is, the mother works as a teacher, doctor, manager, father as a military man, programmer, etc., and the baby will “work” as a preschooler, because he has become quite an adult.
3. Every time you pass by the kindergarten, do not forget to remind that after a while the child will also be able to walk here and play with other children. In his presence, you can also tell your interlocutors about how proud you are of your newly-made preschooler.
4. Talk about the daily routine of the kindergarten to relieve fears and insecurities. Let the child not remember everything due to age, but he will know that after breakfast there will be games, then walks and a short sleep.
5. Be sure to tell them who your child can turn to if they need water or the toilet. In addition, gently clarify that not all requests will be fulfilled instantly, since it is important for caregivers to keep track of all children at once.
6. Share your story of attending a preschool. You probably have photos from matinees where you recite poems, play with dolls, go with your parents from kindergarten, etc. Parental example allows the baby to quickly get used to the kindergarten.

There is no need to overpraise the kindergarten, painting it completely in iridescent colors, otherwise the kid will be disappointed in the teacher and classmates. At the same time, you can’t scare him with a preschool institution and a teacher who “shows how to behave well!” Try to keep the golden mean.

Pre-kindergarten activities for children

Role play and audition fairy tales- favorite entertainment for young children. Therefore, the advice of a psychologist often includes items such as activities and fairy tales for successful adaptation in kindergarten. The purpose of such games is to familiarize the child with the regime and rules of the kindergarten in a relaxed way.

Enlist the "support" of children's toys - dolls, teddy bears. Let your favorite plastic girlfriend become a teacher, and a teddy bear and a robot become kindergartners who are just attending preschool.

Moreover, classes should repeat almost the entire day of the future preschooler. That is, the teddy bear came to the kindergarten, said hello to the aunt-teacher, kissed mommy goodbye and started playing with other kids. Then he had breakfast and began to study.

If a child has difficulty parting with his mother, special emphasis should be placed on this very moment. To do this, it is better to use special fairy tales for quick adaptation in kindergarten, in which, for example, the kitten stops crying after the mother leaves and begins to play merrily with other little animals.

Another opportunity to facilitate adaptation to the kindergarten is the use of improvised means: a presentation, cartoons and a collection of poems about kindergarten. Such useful innovative materials adapt kids as well as, and sometimes even better than, ordinary stories.

Usually, by the age of three, kids quite easily let go of their mothers and other significant adults, because, as we have already noted, at this stage there is a natural desire to be independent, independent of their parents.

And yet there are situations when the baby and mother turn into almost a single organism. Because of this, the adaptation of a child in kindergarten can become much more difficult, and the likelihood of complete maladaptation also increases.

Ideally, it is necessary to accustom the baby to parental absence consistently and in advance. And yet it is possible to reduce the psycho-emotional dependence of children on their mother in a short time. Consider the main advice to parents from experienced professionals.

Necessary actions

1. Try to involve dad and other close relatives in interacting with the child. The more the baby will be in contact with other adults (and not just with his mother), the easier it will be for him to get used to the caregiver.
2. Then introduce your child to your friends. At first, they play with the baby in the presence of their parents, so that he can feel comfortable next to unfamiliar adults. With an adapted child, it will be easier to leave.
3. The next step is going outside. It is necessary to explain to the baby that the mother will go to the store while the grandmother or familiar aunt will tell an interesting tale. In this case, you do not need to ask the child for leave, just let him know.
4. Consistently accustom the baby to the idea that he needs to be alone in the room. You can cook dinner while the child is playing in the nursery. Then these rules can be applied during a lesson in the sandbox or on a walk.
5. Do not call the child shy, beech, roar, crybaby, ponytail and other unpleasant words. On the contrary, tell him and others as often as possible how communicative, sociable and cheerful he is.

Unnecessary actions

1. You can not run away from the child secretly, even at this moment he is sitting with his grandmother. Having discovered the loss of his mother, he, firstly, will be seriously frightened, and secondly, he will begin to cry and scream at the next attempts of his parents to leave.
2. It is not recommended to leave the child in the apartment alone, especially if he is characterized by increased anxiety and anxiety. In addition, even in a few minutes, small children are able to find "adventures" even in the safest home.
3. You should not reward your child with goodies and toys for letting you go away. If this is practiced, then the baby in the kindergarten will require financial incentives literally every day.

You can come up with some rituals that make parting easier. Just do not turn them into a full-fledged ceremony, more reminiscent of a celebration or holiday. It can be an ordinary kiss, a mutual smile or a handshake.

Preschool attendance is essential full development child. How to ease this period? You can listen to the opinion of well-known experts - teachers, psychologists and children's doctors. Komarovsky talks a lot and often about the features of successful adaptation to kindergarten. We learn the main recommendations of the popular TV doctor:

• start attending kindergarten at a time when the mother has not yet returned to work. If the child suddenly catches a cold, the parent will be able to pick him up from the preschool and stay at home with him for one to two weeks;
• it is best to adapt children to kindergarten in certain seasons - summer and winter. But the off-season is not the best period to start visiting the kindergarten, as the likelihood of catching a cold increases;
• there will be no superfluous information about how adaptation takes place in a particular kindergarten. Perhaps caregivers practice force-feeding or over-wrapping babies for walks.

In order for accelerated adaptation to take place in kindergarten, Komarovsky advises adhering to some important recommendations:

• reduce the demands on the child early stages adaptation to preschool. Even if he behaves badly, one must show indulgence;
• be sure to prepare your child for increased social contact through more frequent and longer walks, playing in the sandbox.
• Be sure to boost your immunity. If the body's defense system improves, the child will get sick less, therefore, addiction will pass much faster.

The teledoctor does not exclude the occurrence of certain problems in the process of getting used to, however, one should not refuse the opportunity to accustom a child to kindergarten at 4 years old. It is best to responsibly approach the adaptation period and support the baby in every possible way.

So, the baby has already begun to go to a preschool, but you simply should not wait for the addiction to end. The successful adaptation of a child in kindergarten, advice on which psychologists and doctors give, lies in the active position of parents. How can you help your child?

1. You should not immediately give the child for the whole day. It is best to make a gradual transition from the usual mode to changed conditions, that is, to give the baby first for a couple of hours, and only then increase the length of stay in the kindergarten.
2. Be sure to show sincere interest in what the child was doing in preschool. If he blinded, painted, pasted something, you should praise him and put the craft on a shelf.
3. Study any information provided by the preschool teacher or psychologist. Usually, the folder “Adaptation of the child in kindergarten” is set in the group.
4. You should also communicate more often with educators who regularly fill out an adaptation sheet, a special kindergarten visit form, and a psychologist fills out a card for each child in the nursery group.
5. Do not worry too much if the child seems tired or haggard after kindergarten. Of course, strangers, new acquaintances - this is a serious stress for the child's body. Let the baby rest and sleep.
6. In order for the kids to quickly adapt, it is necessary to limit the increased emotional stress. Psychologists advise to refuse from attending mass entertainment; cartoons and viewing various images, videos also need to be limited.
7. If the baby has certain psycho-emotional or physiological characteristics (hyperactive behavior, health problems), this must be reported to the teaching and medical staff.
8. Tears and tantrums are a “presentation” designed for mom. That is why experts advise dads to accompany the child to kindergarten, since the stronger sex usually reacts more strictly to such manipulative behavior.

Provide a calm family environment for your child during the adjustment process. Express your disposition to the newly-made preschooler in every possible way: kiss, hug, etc.

Memo for parents: adaptation of the child in kindergarten and the main mistakes

So, the basic rules for improving the adaptation of kids to a preschool were described. However, none of the parents is immune from erroneous actions. That is why it is necessary to elaborate on the most common misconceptions:

• comparison with other children. We all adapt differently. That is why you should not compare the baby with his peers, who get used to the children's team and educator much faster;
• deception. You do not need to promise the child that you will pick him up in an hour if you plan to return only in the evening. Such parental promises will lead to the fact that the baby will feel betrayed;
• kindergarten punishment. A child should not be punished with a longer stay in preschool if he is accustomed to being in preschool for only a few hours. This will only lead to increased dislike for the kindergarten;
• “bribery” with sweets and toys. Some moms and dads bribe kids to behave well in preschool. As a result, the child will continue to blackmail adults, demanding gifts from them daily;
• sending a sick child to kindergarten. During the adaptation period, any cold can unsettle the child for a long time, therefore, if you feel unwell, you should not take the preschooler to kindergarten, otherwise there is a risk of intensifying the symptoms of the disease.

Another common parental mistake is the disappearance of a mother who does not want to distract the child from toys or children. Such behavior, as we have already said, will only lead to the fact that the baby will increase anxiety and numerous fears will arise. An increase in tantrums is not ruled out.

As a conclusion

Kindergarten and adaptation are often inseparable concepts, so addiction to preschool education should not be taken as some kind of absolute evil and negative. On the contrary, such a process is quite useful for the child, because it prepares him for future changes in life - school, college, family relationships.

Usually the baby gets used to the kindergarten for a couple of months. But if the child's condition does not stabilize over time and new psychological problems arise (aggression, anxiety, hyperactivity), you should definitely talk to a psychologist about maladaptation.

If the problem persists, it may be worth considering a later visit to kindergarten. Grandma can sit with the baby for a few months? This will probably be the best way out of this situation. Good luck with kindergarten!