My Child’s First Day

The Queensland Government have produced a great fact sheet called ‘My Child’s First Day’. See an extract and a link to the full document below.

Settling into an early childhood education and care service can be stressful for you and your child. Here are some ideas to help you prepare for this new experience which can be adapted to suit the age and development of your child.

Preparing your child

• Before starting care and education, talk to your child about; – where they will be going – what they will be doing – who they will meet – why they will be going.
• Explain that they will stay at the service for a period of time until you pick them up.
• Answer your child’s questions openly and honestly and reassure them they will be fine.
• You could read some books about new experiences to prepare your child.
• Drive or walk past the service to show your child where they will be going.
• Visit the service with your child a number of times before you leave him or her there for the first time. This will give your child an opportunity to get to know the staff and surroundings.

See the full document here.