Some advice from Anna Raftopoulou :
Although every beginning has its own difficulties, when it comes to children reaction everything is healthy and every kind of support is absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, there is no existence of particular strategies in pedagogy. However, there are appropriate ways that can help in a child’s smooth adaptation and in his painless integration into a new environment.
- The main role models of a child are its parents. Therefore, they should carry their child the message of the new positive change that is going to occur in its life from now on, by using stability, consistency, and tenderness. The doubtful as well as the emotional expressivity during the adaptation period will probably cause the child’s behavioral inhibition.
- It is essential for the child to visit the new “school area” before the adaptation process.
- During the adaptation period, the discrete presence of a familiar person for a limited time supports the child’s internal processes and its effort for further integration.
- The child’s stay at the kindergarten should be gradually increased until it has completely adapted to the new situation.
- The child’s reaction is almost given but at the same time, expected and healthy. Each separation causes pain not only for the young ones but also for the adults. The difference lies in the fact that adults use their logic, whereas children express themselves in other ways such as crying, nightmares, insomnia and a general unexpected change in their behavior.
- Parents should provide patience and time to support the “new student”
- When the adaptation period passes and after a short time of calmness, all the previous negative reactions may occur again. This is the phase of the substantial awareness of the facts. Parents can handle this situation using the skills that mentioned before, such as patience and time. This behavior, usually, lasts a shorter time compared to this of the first days and it is expressed in a more mild way.
Glitches will always exist. The bonds of trust, honesty and directness and the proper cooperation between parents and schools may contribute to smoothing and even eliminating such problems.
