Settling in
First Phase (Day 1 -Day 3 )
In this phase, the aim is for the child to get to know the kindergarten as a new situation, as well as the carers and to gain trust. The parents' job in this phase is to be a safe haven for the child in the unfamiliar environment and to make it easier for the child to trust their caregivers.
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Every day one parent is required to spend around 1 hour with the child in the Sea of ​​Pearls. During this time, the parent takes care of care activities such as changing/going to the toilet and feeding, otherwise he or she sits on a chair at the edge and watches the child. In the group situation, the parents stay in the background as much as possible and do not get actively involved.
The educators, in turn, actively strive to build a relationship with the child by providing targeted opportunities for interaction and involving them in activities to the extent that they are ready. Which caregiver is the child's main caregiver depends on the child's personal preferences. These can also change over time.
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Second Phase (Day 4 & 5)
The first separation attempt will take place during these days.
The parent accompanies the child into the group, after a short time he says goodbye to the child, e.g. "I'm going to go to the toilet", returns after 5-10 minutes and picks up the child. Based on the child's reaction, it can be seen whether he or she can be calmed down by the teacher or caregiver. If it can be calmed down or doesn't cry at all, you can move on to phase 4 more quickly.
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Third Phase
This phase is about practicing saying goodbye and reuniting and gradually extending the time the child spends in kindergarten at an individual pace. This phase lasts about 5 to 10 days, unless the child needs longer.
The child now learns that the parents say goodbye every day - and that they come back every day. And it learns that other people in the group are “in charge” than those outside of it. Therefore, in this phase, short periods of separation are more successful than long periods of time spent together with parents in the group. The parents no longer come into the group but say goodbye at the door. The different areas of responsibility become clear to the child.
In this phase it is important that the parent is in constant communication with the teacher about how long their absence is good for the child. The teacher and the parent decide together at what pace the child's attendance times will be extended. The length of time the child spends in kindergarten is gradually increased until the desired level of care is reached.
As the care times are gradually extended, the care staff will automatically take over the care tasks step by step.
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Forth Phase
In this phase, the child's trust in the kindergarten strengthens, he finds his place in the group and begins to build relationships with other children and other carers. This phase lasts about 1-2 weeks.
The child now spends several hours every day in kindergarten without parents. However, parents are encouraged to always remain available and nearby. In this phase, it may be that the children have not yet built up enough trust to be comforted by their caregivers, for example when they are in pain or very distressed. It is then an advantage if the parents can be notified in such cases and are there quickly.
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Fifth Phase
If the care model changes from half-day to part-time or full-time, the parents should be available - similar to what we did in the fourth phase - if sleeping in kindergarten doesn't work straight away.