How can the service assist your child to settle?
The educators at the service should also demonstrate openness and sensitivity in assisting your child and family to settle. Some important ways for them to do this include:
- Providing you with verbal and/or written information about what can be expected when your child is settling and giving you settling tips during this process.
- Keeping you informed about your child’s settling, and actively seeking ongoing information from you about your child’s needs and interests.
- Inviting you to call or visit the service
- Giving you information about anything that may be happening at the service that may affect your child’s settling. For example, the absence of key people who work with your child.
- Reviewing the settling process for your child with you to identify how this is going.
Reconnecting with your child after a day in childcare
It’s not only a new experience for your child, it’s also important for you to know how they feel about going to their early childhood education and care service. This will help you connect and build a strong relationship with your child.
After you pick them up from their centre, give them your undivided attention. They might be grumpy because they haven’t seen you the whole day, so shower them with all the love you can.
Create a meaningful conversation with them after their day at a service.
Here are some suggestions:
- Ask them about their favourite activities of the day.
- Talk to them about the friends they have made. Ask them to name a few children who you know your child is friendly with or spends time playing with.
- If the centre provided food, ask your child how it was and who did they have it with.
- Talk to them about their favourite educator at child care and what they like about them.
- Ask them if their educator read them any story, which one was it, and what they liked about it.
- Mention some items that your child would see or play with at the service, as this helps them recall situations. For instance, ask them what they and their friends made with the blocks.
- Ask them if they learned anything new.
- Use images or notes from the educators at the centre for conversation. For example, “Look at this lovely photo of you at the sandpit. What did sand feel like in your toes?”