It’s time to say goodbye… or how to prepare for the end of kindergarten?
Every story has a beginning and an end. This is also the case with kindergarten. Children come as toddlers, often three years old, and we teachers watch their development. We observe many changes that occur in their behavior. Children become more agile and better able to perform physical exercises, begin to learn new things more efficiently, remember more information. Added to all this is the ability to play in a group, with others and control one’s emotions. That is why we are so sorry when our preschoolers end their adventure at this stage and start their school career.
But how to deal with this change? How to support a child and give him support at the end of the preschool year?
- It is necessary to discuss what the end of kindergarten entails. The child should know that he is changing the institution, that he will go to school. It is worth getting them involved in the selection of the first layette, backpack, notebooks. It makes you feel important and listened to.
- You cannot deny the child’s emotions – a young person can experience the changes that are taking place. So he will be anxious, sad, he may cry. It is therefore worth showing understanding for his feelings and emotions and ensuring that he has the opportunity to freely express them.
- Parting should not come as a surprise – it is worth giving your child time to get used to the fact that he is ending a certain stage in his life. He should be able to say goodbye to his colleagues, to the teachers.
- Cultivate memories – let a photo from the kindergarten hang in the room or together create an album that you will reach in your free time to reminisce about the time in kindergarten.
5) Sometimes it is worth meeting on a different ground, especially when the kindergarten group was very close and the children miss each other, it is worth suggesting a meeting in the park or on the playground. This is important especially at the very beginning.
No one likes breakups, but they are a necessary part of our lives. It’s important to give your child space to deal with the situation. That is why special farewell parties are organized in kindergartens. They bind with a coherent buckle all those years and beautiful moments spent in kindergarten.
We wish you a lot of strength during this time to say goodbye! Also, don’t be ashamed of your tears – children should know that you are sad too. Sadness is a normal emotion that needs to be dealt with somehow!
Justyna Kapuścińska-Kozakiewicz