Geborgene Kindheit bei der Wichtel Akademie München

Settling in at the Wichtel Akademie

A pedagogically structured process from the first meeting to the daily visit.

Settling in at our Wichtel Akademie daycare centers: time to settle in well

A successful acclimatization at daycare lays the foundation for your child's entire time at kindergarten. In our daycare centers (crèches and kindergartens), we attach great importance to making the start of daycare as gentle as possible. We give your child as much time as it needs to settle in well with us.

We have developed a pedagogical guideline for successful acclimatization in our daycare centers. These are based on the latest scientific findings. From the very beginning, we provide your child with a pedagogical caregiver who takes them by the hand and makes them feel safe and secure in their new environment.

Later on, we expressly encourage our children to have a look at the "big ones": In almost all Wichtel houses, the crèche and kindergarten are located in the same building. This allows the children to interact with each other at an early stage and makes the transition from crèche to kindergarten easier for them.

The seven phases of daycare acclimatization at the Wichtel Akademie

  1. Initial meeting with the parents
  2. Getting to know each other and gaining security
  3. Building trust
  4. Stabilizing trust
  5. First attempt at separation
  6. Deepening trust further
  7. Conclusion and reflection phase
Erzieherinnen der Wichtel Akademie unterhalten sich

Phase 1: Initial meeting with the parents

It all starts with a conversation: a pedagogical specialist from the respective location will contact you by telephone to arrange an appointment for an initial personal meeting. Here we want to get to know your child and their individual needs such as eating and sleeping habits, possible allergies, motor skills and language development. However, the initial meeting at the daycare center is also important for you as parents: for example, you can ask us your questions about settling in and other topics.

You will also have the opportunity to discuss your expectations and possible fears with our educational staff. During the initial meeting, we will present our settling-in concept to you in detail and arrange a time for the first day.

Mutter und Kind bei der Eingewöhnung in der Kita

Phase 2: Getting to know each other and gaining security

In the first few days of settling in, you and your child will stay in the daycare group for around one to two hours. The pedagogical specialist will assign you a place in the room. From there, you can observe your child and show them your joy and interest in everything they do. Signal to your child that you feel comfortable with us. You are the "safe haven" that your child can go to at any time.

Your child should explore their new surroundings as independently as possible and at their own pace. Therefore, remain passive and do not push your child to play. Also, do not try to maintain contact with your child on your own initiative. At the beginning of the settling-in period, the teacher will want to make contact with your child slowly and with a benevolent distance and encourage them to explore their environment.

Kindergartenkinder lesen gemeinsam ein Buch in der Kita

Phases 3 and 4: Building and stabilizing trust

There should be no separation during the first three days of settling in. We do not want to put unnecessary strain on your child and want to give ourselves enough time to get to know your child intensively and build up a relationship with him or her. Observe your child closely during the first few days. This way you will know when your child is ready for the first separation.

The following criteria should be met for the first separation: Child

  • Your child explores their immediate surroundings, shows positive feelings and expresses joy.
  • It reacts to the educator and communicates with them.
  • Your child shows perseverance and interest in activities. It should not be too tired when separated.
  • Your child actively participates in the care situation. Sometimes it helps if our educational staff have already changed your child in your presence.

The following criteria should be met for the first separation: Parents

  • As a mother or father, you are ready for a separation and trust your child to take this step. The focus here is primarily on your "inner consent": without your willingness to have your child cared for in our daycare center, a good settling-in process is usually made more difficult.
Kindergartenkind spielt mit Holzbausteinen

Phase 5: First separation attempt

As part of the acclimatization to the crèche or kindergarten, the first separation never takes place on a Monday. After the weekend, we would like to give your child the opportunity to slowly settle back into the daycare center.
The first separation takes about 10 to 15 minutes. During this time, we observe how your child reacts to the separation and whether they can be comforted by our teachers.

Please consciously say goodbye to your child. Do not sneak out of the room, as this behavior can make your child feel very insecure. Stay on site during the first separation attempts. You are welcome to leave the daycare center for longer separations. However, you should remain available by telephone so that you can be with your child again as soon as possible.

Positive development

If the first separation goes well, we gradually extend the separation periods in the further course of the daycare acclimatization until the full booking time is reached.

Negative trend

If the separation does not go so well, there will only be a short separation the following day. Your child should learn that the routine is the same every day and that mom or dad will definitely come back after a separation.

Erzieherin baut zu Kindergartenkind Beziehung auf

Phase 6: Deepening trust

Day by day, your child builds up a more intensive relationship with our educational staff and gains more trust. Finally, it also allows the teachers to take over care in "key situations" . This includes, for example, eating or changing nappies, rest times and accompanying your child during rituals. The time your child spends alone with our educational staff is extended daily. Nevertheless, it is important that you remain available at all times so that you can be with your child again quickly if necessary.

Eingewöhnung in der Kita Erzieherin sitzt mit Kindern am Tisch

Phase 7: Conclusion and reflection phase

The settling-in phase is complete when your child has accepted their caregiver at the daycare center as a "secure base", can be soothed and comforted by them and has settled into our daily routine. After the settling-in phase, we will conduct a final interview with you. This offers the opportunity to reflect on the acclimatization to the daycare center once again and, for example, to look back on particularly nice moments. At the same time, it also provides an outlook for future development meetings.
 

After settling in comes everyday life

After successful acclimatization comes the time of everyday life. A regular daily routine gives children a sense of security.

Everything about the daily routine