There comes a time in the lives of many families when they decide to send their beloved child to kindergarten. This is facilitated by many factors, including the following: Necessity. Parents send their child to kindergarten because they need to work and there is no one to leave the child with. Often, the baby’s admission to kindergarten is timed to coincide with the birth of the second child, so that it is easier for the mother - the youngest needs almost continuous care, and then the older one also tries to “win” the mother’s attention. Increasing the motor and cognitive activity of the baby. Parents get tired of the baby’s activity; it becomes increasingly difficult for them to provide the necessary developmental environment for the child at home. Development of the child’s need for social contacts. Children get older, they already want to play not only with their mother (or grandmother), gradually they begin to need an equal play partner. Of course, parents are worried about how the child will react to changes in his life, whether he will like it in the garden, and whether he will quickly get used to it. What real problems may arise for the child and his parents during this period? How can you make the adaptation process smoother? When a baby comes to kindergarten, he quickly has to adapt to significant changes in his life. He lives according to a new daily routine, he has to eat new, sometimes completely unfamiliar, food. Now he spends a lot of time among a lot of people. Next to them there are constantly new adults with their own demands, other children with their own, often opposing, desires. But my beloved mother, who will always kiss, hug, console, and protect, is NOT nearby. And it’s good when parents understand that the process of getting used to these changes requires a lot of mental energy from the child and often takes place with tension, or even overstrain of the mental and physical forces of the body. How this happens in a child, what parents observe: 1. Changes in the child's emotional state. The child becomes more capricious and whiny - his repertoire of negative emotions can expand from whining, “crying for company” to constant paroxysmal crying. Parents watch with alarm the increasing aggression of their baby - he breaks away, not allowing himself to be undressed, or may even hit an adult who is about to leave him. Having safely gone to the kindergarten one day, the child may throw tantrums in the next days when trying to take him there again and even at the mere mention of it. Or it may become more “inhibited”, as if there are no emotions at all. This happens because the baby is very upset by parting with his mother and his usual environment. As you get used to it, negative emotions will definitely be replaced by positive ones, indicating the end of the adaptation period. But the baby can cry for a long time when parting, and this does not mean that adaptation is going badly. If the child calms down within a few minutes after the mother leaves, then everything is fine.2. Decreased social and cognitive activity. Even sociable, optimistic children can become tense, withdrawn, restless, and uncommunicative in the first days; some children experience deterioration in speech. Sometimes the child is not even interested in toys. It is important to know that children need different amounts of time to get comfortable in a new place. Many children need to sit on the sidelines for a longer time in order to orient themselves to their surroundings and feel more confident. Don't be discouraged if your child isn't interacting with other kids yet. Remember that children 2–3 years old do not play together, but side by side, since they have not yet developed story-based play that would involve several children. The fact that adaptation is proceeding successfully can be judged by the fact that the baby interacts more and more willingly with the teacher in the group, responds to his requests, and follows routine moments. Gradually, the baby will begin to master the space of the group, his “forays” to toys will become more frequent andbrave, gradually he will begin to “notice” other children nearby.3. Deterioration of developed skills. During the adaptation period, the baby may for a short time “lose” the self-care skills he has developed (the ability to use a spoon, handkerchief, potty, etc.). The success of adaptation is determined by the fact that the child not only “remembers” what was forgotten, but you, with surprise and joy, note the new achievements that he learned in kindergarten.4. Change in motor activity. Some children become “inhibited”, and some become uncontrollably active. It depends on the child's temperament. Activities at home are also changing. A good sign is the restoration of normal activity at home, and then in the kindergarten.5. Changes in sleep quality. If a child is left to nap during the day, he will have difficulty falling asleep during the first few days. The baby may jump up or, having fallen asleep, soon wake up crying. At home, you may also experience restless sleep during the day and at night. By the time adaptation is completed, sleep both at home and in the garden will definitely return to normal.6. Decreased appetite. This is due to unusual food (both the appearance and taste are unusual), as well as stress reactions - the baby simply does not want to eat. A good sign is the restoration of appetite. The baby may not eat everything on the plate, but he begins to eat.7. Deteriorating health. At a time when all the body’s adaptive forces are spent getting used to changes in life, the body’s resistance to infections decreases, and the child may get sick in the first month (usually after 2 weeks) of visiting kindergarten. Often, parents expect that the negative aspects that appeared with the beginning of the “kindergarten” life will pass quickly, after a few days. And they worry, or even begin to get angry with the baby if this does not happen. It is important for parents to remember that the adaptation process is a long period, its duration varies individually and usually takes from 3-4 weeks to 3-4 months. Moreover, if the baby is forced to be absent from the garden for a certain number of days, then the adaptation process can begin anew. The adaptation process will be easier if you, the parents, show patience, understanding of what is happening and support your baby. Be sure that everything will definitely be fine, and your confidence will certainly pass on to your child. How parents can help themselves and their child navigate this difficult period more successfully. Start preparing several months in advance. Prepare your child for kindergarten with information. Tell him about what he will do in kindergarten, about routine moments. Read stories, poems, compose fairy tales about how he will spend an interesting time there. Learn to communicate with peers. Walk around the kindergarten playgrounds when children are walking there - let your child see how they play and what they do. Explain to your child the need for him to stay in kindergarten. If a child thinks that he was sent to kindergarten because a brother (or sister) was born and his mother will now be with the little one, or because his mother wants to go to a cafe with her friends, it will be difficult for him to perceive his “rejection” and “exile” positively » from the family, even for a short time. Behave in such a way that the child feels his parents are proud of him - after all, he is already so old that he can go to kindergarten. Do not express doubts about the appropriateness of this event. The fewer doubts a mother has about the advisability of visiting the kindergarten, the more confidence that the child will sooner or later cope. And the baby, reacting precisely to this confident position of the mother, adapts much faster. Treat your child’s admission to kindergarten calmly. Do not make this event the subject of daily and numerous discussions, especially in front of the child. Especially if you have doubts and concerns. It is important to bring your daily routine as close as possible to the routine adopted in the garden. At least 1-1.5 months in advance. Also try to bring it closer to the image accepted in the garden.nutrition of the child. Pay more attention to the formation of hygiene skills of your child. Organize the moments when the child will be forced to be without his mother. Then the child will develop an understanding and acceptance that the mother, although she leaves for a while, will definitely return to him. Increase your baby’s social circle. It has been noticed that children who live in an impoverished social environment, for example, in dachas, adapt less well to the garden. But children from families with many relatives and friends get used to their new surroundings more easily. When this exciting moment happened and your child went to kindergarten, it is the parents who are able to smooth out many unpleasant moments for them and the child. Create a gentle environment at home that is gentle on your baby’s nervous system, which is already working at full capacity. Be more tolerant of whims. They arise due to overload of the nervous system. Hug the baby, help him calm down and switch to another activity (game). 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! Do not wean your child off “bad” habits (for example, from a pacifier) ​​during the adaptation period, so as not to overload the baby’s nervous system. There are too many changes in his life now, and there is no need for unnecessary stress. In the presence of a child, always speak positively about the teachers and the kindergarten. Even if you didn't like something. Going to a place that your parents don't like is very scary. If a child has to go to this kindergarten and this group, it will be easier for him to do this, respecting the teachers. Talk about all the good things that happen in the garden, not just with the baby. Tell someone in his presence what a good kindergarten the child now goes to, and what wonderful teachers work there. Organize positive emotions in the morning. The main rule is this: if the mother is calm, the baby is calm. Parents and children are most upset when they separate. At the same time, the child “reads” the parent’s uncertainty and emotions and becomes even more upset. Talk to your baby calmly and confidently both at home and in the garden. Show benevolent persistence when waking up, getting dressed, and undressing in the garden. Talk to your child in a not too loud, but confident voice, voicing everything you do. Come up with a farewell ritual. The child will let you go faster if he has the opportunity to kiss you on the cheek, hug you goodbye, say “bye,” or wave his hand from the window. At the same time, you must be absolutely calm. The more you worry, the longer you hesitate to part with him, the more the baby worries. Do not be afraid of the child’s tears. Paradoxical but true: it’s good that the baby is crying! Believe me, he has real grief, because he is breaking up with the most dear person - with you, and he has the right to have such a reaction! He doesn’t yet know that you will definitely come; a routine has not yet been established. But you know what is happening, and you are sure that you will pick up the baby from the kindergarten. It is worse when the child is so caught in the grip of stress that he cannot cry. Crying is an assistant to the nervous system; it prevents it from being overloaded. Therefore, do not get angry with your child for “whining.” And under no circumstances should you punish your child for crying when parting or at home when the need to go to kindergarten is mentioned! Of course, children's tears make you worry, but you will also get through it. Make the moment of separation easier. Of course, it is better if the mother takes the child to kindergarten. But, if the baby experiences prolonged negative emotions when parting with his mother, let the parent or relative with whom it is easier for him to part with take him away. Educators have long noticed that a child breaks up with one of the parents relatively calmly, but cannot let go of the other, continuing to worry after his departure. Give the garden a small toy (preferably a soft one). Babies of this age may need a toy - a substitute for their mother. Clutching something soft that is a piece of