Preparing Toddlers for Crèches: 5 Tips for Sandton Parents
The December holidays are fast approaching which means parents all over South Africa will be getting their little ones ready for crèche or the first day of primary school and high school for the new year. If you’ve got more than one child, then you’re no newbie at letting go. However, if you’re a parent of only one child who’s starting kindergarten for the first time, then you’re probably wondering how your little one will react when you do a drop-off and drive.
Most parents with two or three kids will agree that letting go is one of the hardest things to face for both children and parents. To you, your toddler might not seem ready at all to spend the day with strangers. However, in reality, children from the ages of one are more than attentive to absorb knowledge and learn values and communication skills. Grade-1 teachers say that out of all their students each year, the kids that thrive and succeed in primary school are the kids that attended kindergarten from a young age.
Sending your little ones to crèches from a young age gives young children the steppingstone they require in life. However, the real problem is getting them in the door without anxiety, fits, tears, and feelings of betrayal. The good news is that FasTracKids supports you with this challenge. As one of the top crèches in Sandton, offering early childhood education programs from the ages of one to eight – and as a proven innovator of international early childhood education, we provide valuable tips and advice on easing the transition from staying home to starting crèche for the first time.
- Give Them Their Snuggly Teddy or Blanket to Take to School
If you think you’re going to struggle with separation anxiety, think of how your little one will feel. One way to reduce your little one’s stress is to let them take their favourite cuddly toy or blanket to school with them. When you give your little one a familiar toy to take to school that smells like home, you help to ease their stress and make them feel more comfortable.
- Invent a Unique Goodbye Ritual
It is difficult saying goodbye, but you can make this easier by creating a goodbye ritual. For instance, instead of waving goodbye and walking off, give your little cherub a high-five, create a unique handshake or hug, or shower your baby with butterfly kisses on the forehead, both cheeks and chin, and then remind them you will pick them up soon.
- Get Them Excited with Nightly Bedtime Stories about Crèches
Each night before bedtime, read your little one inspiring stories of a baby bear or squirrel that started daycare for the first time. If you can’t find a book, then make up a story about what the animals or children do at school, the fun they have playing on the playground and all the new friends they can meet. The more you excite your little one about crèche, the easier it is for them to let go.
If you’re on the hunt for the best crèches in Sandton, then get in touch with us. Sending your child to FasTracKids is one of the best investments you can make for your little one. As one of the leading crèches in Sandton, we offer an internationally acclaimed curriculum. To find out more, contact or visit us today.