Settling In

The First Steps in Safety

It is important for parents to understand that they can best support their child through this process when they themselves are emotionally prepared for this step. They need to accept that regular and ongoing interaction with peers is essential for their child’s healthy social development, and that from this point on, the child’s world will gradually expand beyond the parents.

This process plays a very important role in the child’s future life, especially in forming and maintaining social relationships, and it can also influence their relationships in adulthood.

Children can sense exactly how confident their parents feel about this transition: whether they accept this natural step, whether they trust the institution they have chosen, and whether they feel secure with the teachers working there. When parents communicate calmness and trust, they are much more likely to move through this period with ease. The success of settling in, therefore, depends at least as much on the parents as it does on the child.

At our kindergarten, we support the settling-in process with warmth, patience, and a gradual approach tailored to each child’s individual needs. We also place great importance on easing parents’ worries and providing them with the right support throughout this period. The process is professionally guided by our teachers in each building, who follow the arrival of new children with special attention, respond to each situation with care and expertise, and work closely together with families.

After the administrative steps of enrolment have been completed, the starting date of the settling-in period is agreed in advance. This allows the family to prepare for this new step, while our kindergarten can also prepare to welcome the child and support their integration into the community.

In general, we recommend starting kindergarten in September. However, when circumstances allow, children may join our care and development programme at any time during the educational year. For this reason, we are able to take each family’s individual situation and needs into consideration and accommodate adjustments where this is justified.

A Gradual Approach

For young children, separation from their parents can be a significant emotional challenge. Building a secure connection with a new environment and adapting to a new situation takes time.

A gradual settling-in process helps to support:

• the development of trust between the kindergarten teacher and the child,
• the acceptance of a new daily rhythm,
• the building and strengthening of emotional security,
• the reduction of anxiety.

Throughout the settling-in process, we carefully consider and fully respect each child’s individual pace in becoming part of this new experience.

How can parents support
a Successful Settling-In Period

• Always remain calm and honest when saying goodbye to your child.
• The goodbye should be loving but brief, with a clear and confident farewell that gently helps bring the moment to a close.
• Always reassure your child that you will come back for them in the afternoon.
• Talking about kindergarten experiences at home is strongly encouraged. Listen with care and attention to what your child shares about their day.

It is helpful for parents to know that crying at separation can be a natural reaction, and does not necessarily mean that the child is unhappy at kindergarten. In our experience, these moments are often directed towards the parent, and once the parent is no longer in sight, the familiar kindergarten routines begin to guide the child. Within these routines, children often find their sense of security again and move through the day with growing confidence.

Working Together with Families

The settling-in process can only be carried out smoothly, and in the shortest possible time, through close cooperation between our institution and the parents. During this period, the kindergarten teachers of the group, the professional team working in the given building, and the parents need to work together as partners. By supporting one another throughout the process, we can provide the child with the right support during this important transitional period. Our teachers support parents with open communication and continuous feedback, so that every child can begin their journey of becoming part of the kindergarten's community safely and at their own pace.