Adapting to kindergarten: how to turn a difficult transition into a pleasant experience for the whole family?

Many families spend the summer dreading the arrival of September, not because of the prospect of having to return to work. The fact is that with the end of the vacations also comes the start of kindergarten, and although this can bring extremely positive experiences for children, it can also be the most difficult experience of all.

And here, we're not just talking about the children... The reports from friends and family can be frightening: children who cry for whole mornings (or days!), children who don't sleep, children who don't eat or who only calm down when their parents arrive. “Dramatic” is not enough to describe this challenging transition for the children and the whole family.

After all, it's not for nothing. The child stays with a group of strangers: surrounded by strange children, held by strange adults, lying in strange beds, waiting endless hours until they finally see a familiar face. The bond created between children and those who will be their adults of reference will be of fundamental importance, but for this to happen, the presence of the family is an essential element.

How to smooth the process

The stronger the bond between the child and the family, the better the child will cope with the difficult adjustment to kindergarten. This ability remains a fundamental tool. When viewed from the perspective of the emotions of everyone involved, school adaptation is a very intense situation that arouses many emotions.

With all this in mind, there is no room for doubt: promoting a welcoming environment that facilitates the creation of emotional bonds with the adults of reference, i.e. the entire team of educators and assistants who will be accompanying the child, is essential for a transition that is intended to be as smooth and painless as possible.

At Escola Lá Fora, this adaptation and transition process is experienced in an inclusive way, with the support of the whole team and each child's family.

A present family

As a school that operates exclusively outdoors in nature, there are no physical rooms, corridors, or doors that close when the family leaves, and this idea is also reflected in the philosophy of this forest school.

“At Escola Lá Fora, we want to respect the rhythm of each child and their family,” explains the executive and pedagogical director, Ana Galvão. “Initially, we believe that children need to recognize the space as a safe place,” she says. That's why, at this stage, the child is accompanied by a reference element, such as the mother, father or other caregiver.

“As the child builds up confidence, they usually take ownership of the space and gradually gain more autonomy,” she adds. This moment of appropriation of space is also when the child will have the opportunity to create moments of interaction with the adults who accompany the child's group and will thus be able to establish a relationship with the child, respecting their adaptation time.

“We believe that the first separation should only occur after this stage, when the child already has some security in the space and a reference adult they can turn to,” says Ana. The duration of this phase varies, as each child's development and characteristics are unique. At Escola Lá Fora, it is suggested that this moment of separation be done for short periods initially and agreed with one of the adults in the group so that everything can happen in an aligned and coherent way between the school team and the family. “What we do know is that for some children this process can take a month, for others it can take one, two or three days. It will depend on the characteristics of each child and the trust and reassurance they are given,” she explains.

A place of affection

For the adaptation to go smoothly, open channels of communication between the school and the family should be promoted, and they should work together at all stages. “This is a difficult time emotionally for many families, and it's important that the school is available to address their concerns in an empathetic and understanding way,” concludes Ana Galvão.

But why is it essential to ensure a smooth and peaceful adaptation to a new school? According to Ana Passos e Sousa, executive director of Escola Lá Fora, “smooth adaptations are the ‘secret’ to a happy stay at school”. As soon as the family gains confidence in the school staff and the child realizes this, there will be room for a smooth transition to a context that, from the unknown, becomes familiar. “A place of belonging and affection,” explains Ana.

And here, families continue to play a vital role. “The fact that families are invited to participate in this adaptation process actively promotes the establishment of a relationship of trust between the child, the family and the school.” This participation, in turn, is seen as a “supported autonomy” process. In other words, it is a process with the ultimate goal: "the child creates positive and secure relationships in this new context that welcomes them”.

Starting school, Outside

The question remains: is the fact that this adaptation takes place entirely outdoors, without a closing door? After all, don't we often say, "What the eye can't see, the heart can't feel?”. In the case of children, this doesn't seem to be the case, and it has been increasingly proven that playing and learning outdoors is a fundamental element in children's healthy and complete development, especially at pre-school age.

“It's baffling how, in a country with so many sunny days and such a favourable, mild climate, our children are among those who spend the least time outdoors throughout the year,” criticizes Constança Cordeiro Ferreira, baby therapist and founder of Centro do Bebé in Lisbon. “It's not possible to develop the full potential for exploration, curiosity and even from a physiological point of view, in aspects such as sleep, for example, without letting our children come into contact with the natural elements, with the outside world,” she adds.

For Constança, in early childhood, a project based on learning in nature and recognizing each child as a unique being with unique needs and development, as is the case at Escola Lá Fora, offers everything that parents should receive from a kindergarten: a pedagogical project centred on the child, robust and secure emotional bonds and the added value of providing children what they come prepared to receive: the whole world to explore,” she concludes.

Science backs this up: spending childhood in nature has benefits far beyond children's emotional development. In fact, according to a study carried out by the Natural Resources Institute of Finland, with the participation of researcher Marja Roslund, it only takes a month of playing in the forest for a child's immune system to change significantly.

In an interview with School Outside, Roslund explained that the study found that exposing children to microbes found in nature significantly increases the diversity of the human microbiota. In other words, exposing children to nature “offers a viable approach to reducing the risk of autoimmune diseases in urban populations,” she explains.

Roslund explains: “The ideal would be to add biodiversity to children's gardens, with natural green elements, letting children play with the earth. For example, involving children in caring for plants, exploring nature and other environmental educational activities in nature. And, of course, visit nature with the children as much as possible.”