What you can do to support your child through the first weeks of kinder:

Read and follow the suggestions in the Preparing for Kinder presentation

If you missed the Preparing for Kinder presentation at the AGM, you can access it here. It contains many useful suggestions, actions and readings to help you prepare your child for their first days and weeks at kindergarten.

Let them carry their bag and tend to their belongings

We encourage children to carry their belongings and put them in the correct place. You can help your child with encouragement and direction, but please try not to do it for them. 

Say goodbye once before leaving

It is really important that you say goodbye to your child before leaving the kinder. Say it once, and only when you are ready to leave. Doing so helps your child feel safe to remain at kinder without you, and feel confident that you will return to collect them at the end of the session. Please do tell your child and us when you are leaving – sneaking away often leaves children more distressed than a difficult goodbye.

Bring a special toy or comforter

If you suspect your child may get upset, a special toy or comforter from home may help them feel more at ease.

Be guided by your child’s educators

Your child’s educators are experts on supporting children through the transition to kinder. Listen to their observations, and trust their advice. They have successfully supported many children through the settling process and have the knowledge to do so successfully. 

Be available 

We ask parents/guardians to be contactable during the settling process, just in case we need to call you. In the rare event we are unable to settle your child, we will ask you to collect them. 

Wait before registering your child for AKC

If your child is struggling to adjust to their kinder session, please consider waiting until they have settled before enrolling them in After Kinder Care (AKC). In our experience, knowing they have to attend AKC after their regular session can increase children’s anxiety about kinder. Seeing their peers collected by their parent/guardian after session finish can be upsetting in the early days. By giving them the time and space to settle into their regular sessions, we observe children cope better with transitioning to AKC. We understand and respect that this may not be possible for all families.