Favorite child carer quit kindergarten. What to do?

Young children often take change hard. Changing a kindergarten teacher can be a real tragedy for a child. Anna Pham, Ph.D. in Psychology, talks about how to help him survive this difficult time.

Question. The child’s favorite teacher has left the kindergarten, and the baby is very worried. Relations with the new caregiver do not add up. What should parents do in such a situation to help the child survive this difficult period?

Answer. Replacing a caregiver is a situation that can be a significant stress for a child, especially if he recently started going to kindergarten or a group and did not manage to adapt to a new format for himself. At the same time, competent adult behavior can significantly mitigate the consequences of parting with your favorite teacher, as well as getting used to a new person.

1. Support, attention to the feelings of the child and an empathic presence

Good contact of the child with parents and other family members, a sense of support from loved ones is the key to overcoming difficulties. Talk with the child about this situation, paying attention to his experiences, fears, feelings of sadness from the loss of the person to whom he is attached. Give place to his feelings, speak them and join them. Perhaps the story will help you how you felt in a similar situation (if you do not have such a childhood experience, the situation from your current life is quite suitable - when, for example, you have to adapt to a new job or a colleague leaves, the boss changes).
https://downloads.teacherspayteachers.com/5/5256/5256828/b173aeacc75912d71ab3ced1f31f9994?3sFWxkZ8P-x4gl0FW_zfLTRns6zlywoQgdk-VkOR6BldaA7G584gH6B5QWXfWWre_Bp80OJYsfJfw2cUMgE3UZQmpV7WI68ILlx0F6w8BA4M2ar3HFGsJ7jyAglWAc-ucYCGlxdN76OcTg8EB_I&file_name=Thecontestteacheroftheyear.pdf

2. Continuing contact with a past caregiver
It is good if it is possible to at least for some time keep in touch with the departed caregiver (for example, sometimes sending him small messages made by the child, congratulations on holidays on his behalf). In this case, he understands that there is no threat of a complete breakdown of contact, the person has not disappeared, has not disappeared and can continue to be present in life as a “friend”. Over time, the need for contact with a past caregiver may come to naught.

3. Gentle visit to the garden
If there is such an opportunity, it is better to take the child home early in the most acute period of psychological restructuring. Of course, much depends on the context here: it also happens that towards the end of the day he only enters the game state, adjusts to the teacher and classmates, does not want to leave. In the same case, if the adaptation to the change of caregivers also coincides with the adaptation to the garden / group, in principle, early care is desirable (with a gradual increase in the time spent in the garden).

4. Communication with classmates
As a rule, a child who goes to the garden is important not only contact with the teacher, but also communication with peers. And if it does not add up, the experience of leaving the beloved teacher can be more acute and painful. If the child is timid and shy, misses a lot due to illness, or just recently started to visit the garden and few of the guys know, the active help of adults is important in building his relationship with classmates.