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Parenting Tips For Children Entering Childcare

It does not matter whether your child is a young baby or a three-year-old, when it is time for your child to enter a childcare facility for the first time, every parent's nerves are on edge. Because children pick up on stress and anxiety of parents, it is helpful to carefully think about the care process in advance. That is where these parenting tips are beneficial to you. From managing your nerves on the first day to packing the perfect snack box for your child, there are plenty of ways you can prepare yourself and your child to make their childcare experience a raging success.

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Parenting Tips for Children Entering Childcare

Tips to help you prepare your child for kindergarten and select the right program

by Jane Fletcher

Kindergarten is an important first step into your child's lifelong learning process, so you should take some time when you select where they will attend a kindergarten class. Here are some tips to help you prepare your child for kindergarten and to select the right program for their education.

Evaluate Your Child's Knowledge

One of the first things you should do in your kindergarten preparation is to evaluate your child's knowledge. To be ready for kindergarten, your child should know which way to orient a book and to turn the pages, and they should be able to grip a pencil or crayon. They should recognize and identify some letters, colours, shapes and numbers. They should also be able to dress themselves, use the toilet and manage their belongings, and they should understand how to take turns.

Look For a Quality Program

In your area, there may be several different types of kindergarten programs available to choose from. You have a choice in the kindergarten you send your child to, just as you can choose their preschool or child care program. If your child is already participating in child care or in a preschool, you should ask the provider if they recommend specific kindergarten programs or if they are affiliated with a connecting program, as this would progress your child from what they are learning currently with child care of preschool into the associated kindergarten program. 

You can ask their provider for a certificate for their program or ask about their rating in the National Quality Framework. As you look for a kindergarten, you can also look for their individual National Quality Framework rating. By evaluating a kindergarten program with its rating, you can get a good idea of how well they perform in relation to other kindergarten programs as you pick the right one.

Visit the Centre

It is also a good idea to visit a kindergarten centre to get a feeling of its atmosphere and actually see how the program works. When you can see the kindergarten in action, you will get a sense of how the teachers interact with the students and what type of environment is provided for your child to learn in. 

You should find out about the kindergarten's policies and behaviour management to help keep the classrooms safe for learning and creativity. Find out if the kindergarten program runs concurrently to school schedules year-round or if they are different. And ask if you can get extended care times for your child if you have to work a later schedule.

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