Working with parents during the period of children’s adaptation to kindergarten conditions
Zaitseva Oksana Sergeevna teacher-psychologist Bolotskikh Nadezhda Vladimirovna Prokofieva Evgenia Borisovna educators MBDOU "Gorodishche DS "Alenky Flower" Stary Oskol city district
The material was posted as part of the All-Russian Summer Educational Part-time Forum “Summer is a Little Life”
WORKING WITH PARENTS DURING THE PERIOD OF CHILDREN’S ADAPTATION TO KINDERGARTEN
In this article we will talk about the work done and upcoming work to facilitate the process of adaptation of children of the first junior group “Semitsvetiki” to kindergarten through working with parents.
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As you know, adaptation is the process of a preschooler entering a new environment, his ability to adapt to the conditions in which he finds himself. Increasing the child's adaptive capabilities and enriching his social contacts are very important for the formation of the child's personality.
We interact with parents based on the following principles:
- Consistency, clear focus and planning;
- A differentiated approach to interaction with parents;
- Age-related nature of interaction with parents;
- Openness and friendliness.
Adaptation is a long process that includes two large stages, each of which has its own goals and objectives.
In our kindergarten, comprehensive work is carried out with children from the adaptation group to ensure competent and smooth passage of the process of adaptation of children to the conditions of the kindergarten. It includes several areas - “children - educators - parents - teachers” . For this purpose, a set of measures was carried out to support the family at the stage of preparation for admission to a preschool educational institution and the process of adaptation of the child.”
The interaction of the psychologist and educators with parents began even before the child entered kindergarten and began with an initial joint review of the medical records of each child. A schedule for the reception of children was developed. Consultations and recommendations were drawn up to help educators facilitate the process of adaptation of children in kindergarten. And:
- Creating a traveling folder “The child goes to kindergarten” with recommendations for parents whose children are starting to attend kindergarten for the first time.
- Creation of booklets with brief recommendations that parents can take with them and read at home.
- Conducting a tour of the kindergarten and presentation of all premises.
- Conducting a survey of parents for initial acquaintance with children.
- Conducting testing to determine the child’s readiness to enter kindergarten.
- Conducting a parent meeting on the topic “Adaptation of a young child to kindergarten.”
- Conducting individual and group counseling for parents of pupils in the first junior group.
The first stage is preparatory . It began with the first meeting of parents with teachers, which was held even before the children entered the group. At this meeting, parents got acquainted with the preschool educational institution, with the staff of the group, the head and teachers told them about the current tasks and traditions of the institution. They showed how to work with the preschool educational institution website, where parents can get the information they need about the plan of activities for newly admitted children in the preschool educational institution: master classes, consultations, conversations, trainings, workshops. Our work with parents is aimed at developing their pedagogical competence, helping families find answers to their questions about raising children, and attracting parents to cooperate in finding common approaches to upbringing. A tour of the premises of the preschool educational institution was conducted. We also carried out joint work with parents to create optimal conditions for the development of the child, both in the group and at the kindergarten site: creating new games, play equipment, participating in painting and repairing old equipment, decorating the group veranda, which helped parents meet friends with a friend and with teachers and contributed to the unity of the parent team.
The second stage of the adaptation period is the admission of children to the group . For this purpose, a parent meeting was held on the topic: “Adaptation of young children to kindergarten.” Before the meeting, parents were asked to fill out introductory questionnaires. The main task of which was the collection, processing and use of data about the family of each pupil, the general cultural level of his parents, the presence of the necessary pedagogical knowledge, the attitude of the family towards the child, the requests, interests, needs of parents for psychological and pedagogical information.
Next we held a parent meeting.
Parent meeting summary
“Adaptation of young children to kindergarten” in the 1st junior group “Semitsvetiki”.
- Date: August 2022
- Participants: parents of pupils of the 1st junior group, teachers, educational psychologist.
- Number of participants: 20 people.
- Venue: music hall of the preschool educational institution.
Goals:
- Create conditions for parents to get to know each other and for the emergence of positive relationships between them.
- Identify parents' expectations from their child's visit to kindergarten.
- Analyze the level of adaptation of children in the group. Identify factors that hinder successful adaptation. Provide recommendations to parents on how to behave during the adaptation period.
- Promote positive parent-child relationships.
PROGRESS OF THE MEETING.
- Acquaintance.
Good evening, dear parents! We are glad to see you at our meeting, at the first parent meeting. Today we have gathered to get acquainted and also to discuss the important problem of a child’s adaptation to kindergarten. First, let's get acquainted. And the ball will help us get to know each other.
I pass the ball to you, you introduce yourself, say whose parents you are and a few words about your family or child and pass the ball on.
We have met and now, with a good mood, we move on to important issues.
Adaptation of a child to kindergarten.
Enrolling a child in kindergarten is the first step into independent life, which is not easy for all children. Our task is to make sure that the adaptation period is painless for the child.
- Introduction.
Currently, many parents send their children to nursery very early, not realizing how difficult it is for some children to go through a new stage in their lives. Separation from home and loved ones, meeting new adults and unfamiliar children of their own kind can become psychological trauma for a child. It is very important that the transition from home to kindergarten is smooth, soft, and non-traumatic.
- Main theme.
Adaptation is the process of a person entering a new environment for him and adapting to its conditions at different levels: physiological, psychological.
Levels of adaptation:
- Mild (short-term) – two to four weeks
- Average - four to six weeks.
- Severe (long-term) - more than six weeks, can last up to six to nine months.
Negative results (stress).
At the age of 1-3 years, a child has a number of specific age-specific capabilities. This period is characterized by special sensitivity to separation from the mother and fear of novelty.
Therefore, entering kindergarten often causes stress for a child. This is due to the fact that not only the daily routine, familiar from birth, changes radically, but also the child’s environment, and a large number of unfamiliar people appear. After all, stress always inhibits development, both physiologically and psychologically. For many children, the adaptation process is accompanied by a number of, albeit temporary, serious disturbances in behavior and general condition. Such violations include:
- loss of appetite (refusal to eat or malnutrition);
- sleep disturbance (children cannot fall asleep, sleep is short-term, intermittent);
- the emotional state changes (children cry a lot, get irritated).
Sometimes deeper disorders can be noted:
- increased body temperature, blood pressure;
- decreased immunity;
- changes in stool character;
- violation of some acquired skills (the child stops asking to go to the potty, his speech is inhibited, etc.).
The child experiences fear, grief, anger, tears, which are the causes of neurological problems - neuroses, depression, which may remain in the future, and in adulthood result in a number of phobias and complexes. Therefore, it is very important that the adaptation period proceeds smoothly: starting from 2-3 hours, increasing to a “whole” day.
To avoid these complications and ensure optimal adaptation, it is necessary to prepare the child, both at the physiological level and at the psychological level. The adaptation period can last from 3-4 weeks to 6-9 months. Parents should take this into account when sending their child to a preschool educational institution.
The physiological level of adaptation depends on the general physiological state of the child (health, immunity, lifestyle, dietary preferences).
We need to get used to:
- Impossibility of privacy:
- New food, new rooms, lighting, smells;
- New regime, rhythm of life, new loads (you need to sit, listen, fulfill the demands of adults)
- The need for self-restraint.
Psychological level of adaptation.
You have to get used to:
- A large number of new people and the need to interact with them;
- The need to defend your personal space;
- To the absence of a significant adult (mom, dad);
- The need to deal with your problems alone.
The body’s adaptation to new conditions of social existence, a new regime is accompanied by changes in the child’s behavioral reactions, sleep disorders, and appetite.
Factors on which the course of adaptation depends:
- child's age;
- health status;
- health level;
- ability to communicate with peers;
- formation of object and game activities;
- the proximity of the home regime to the preschool regime.
The question arises: should the child stay in kindergarten; it is possible that he is a “non-kindergarten” child.
Parents, when sending their son or daughter to a preschool institution, often encounter difficulties and are not ready to overcome them themselves.
Let's look at common mistakes and ways to overcome them .
- Parents' unpreparedness for a child's negative reaction to preschool . Parents are frightened by the child’s tearfulness and are confused, because at home the child agreed to go to kindergarten. We must remember that this is the baby’s first experience; he could not imagine in advance the full picture that tearfulness is a normal state of a child during the period of adaptation to a preschool educational institution. With the patience of adults, it can go away on its own.
- Often the mistake of parents is to blame and punish the child for crying . This is not a way out of the situation. All you need is patience and help. All your baby needs is to adapt to new conditions.
- Another mistake parents make is being in a state of concern and anxiety . First of all, you need to calm down. Children instantly sense when their parents are worried. This condition is passed on to children. You should avoid talking about your baby's tears with other family members in his presence. It seems that the son or daughter is still small and does not understand adult conversations. But children, on a subtle emotional level, feel their mother’s concern, and this further intensifies the child’s anxiety.
- Reduced attention to the child is also a typical mistake of parents. Satisfied with the work of the preschool educational institution, some mothers breathe a sigh of relief and no longer pay as much attention to the baby as before. It is recommended, on the contrary, to spend as much time as possible with the child during this period of his life.
When a child starts talking cheerfully about kindergarten, reading poetry, and retelling the events that happened during the day, this is a sure sign that he has settled down.
FIRST SIGNS THAT THE CHILD HAS ADAPTED:
- a good appetite;
- restful sleep;
- willing communication with other children;
- adequate reaction to any proposal from the teacher;
- normal emotional state.
It is difficult to say how long the adaptation period will last, because all children go through it differently. But getting used to kindergarten is also a test for parents, an indicator of how ready they are to support the child and help him overcome difficulties.
Advice for parents.
- Parents and children are most upset in the morning when they separate. Long goodbyes and persuasion with a worried expression on the face will cause anxiety in the child. Children most often calm down immediately after their parents disappear from sight.
- Try to ensure that your baby is surrounded by a calm and conflict-free atmosphere at home. Hug your baby more often, pat him on the head, say kind words.
- Celebrate his successes and improvements in behavior. Praise more than scold. He really needs your support now!
- Be more tolerant of whims. They arise due to overload of the nervous system.
- Let the child be taken away by the parent or relative with whom it is easier for him to part with.
- Be sure to say that you will come and indicate when.
- Under no circumstances should you be frightened by kindergarten (“If you’re playing around, I’ll take you to kindergarten, and you’ll live there alone!”).
- Don’t deceive your child, you promised to pick him up early, keep your promise.
- After kindergarten, spend more time with your child, ask how his day was, what he did in kindergarten.
- Testing parents on the topic: “Psychological and pedagogical parameters for determining the readiness of a child to enter a preschool educational institution.”
- Parting.
Game "Stand in a circle..."
- Stand in a circle, those who have 1 child,
- stand in a circle, those who have 2 children,
- those who have 3 or more children stand in a circle.
This is such a big and friendly circle we have!
Now everyone stand in a circle:
- shoulder to shoulder,
- elbow to elbow,
- foot to foot
- knee to knee,
- palm to palm.
So, holding hands, we formed something whole - a circle, a collective! And we want you to walk through all these 5 years hand in hand and become one big and friendly family!
Thank you all very much for your attention and participation!
At the end of the meeting, parents were given reminders on the topic: “Adaptation to kindergarten.”
During the entire adaptation period, work was carried out with parents in the form of group and individual consultations, conversations, and information was provided on stands and mobile folders.
View forum participants and download certificates – HERE
