The value of easing a young child into his new setting slowly and gradually cannot be underestimated.
Studies have shown that it takes about an hour or less for a child to assess his new surroundings, notice the adults and children around him and orient himself in the direction of his interests. Once the initial one hour or so orientation process is done, his mind goes back to his old surroundings, his familiar key persons and he starts to show signs of distress.
That is the exact moment when the orientation experience needs to end, and he must be taken back to his own safe haven. This allows his mind to process that the new setting is not a threat to his sense of security. Hence the next day, the child comes in with the initial inquisitive desire to explore and the security that he will ‘go home’ soon.
The memory of that moment when he looked for his key person and felt that distress was so short lived, that he doesn’t remember it at all. As he slowly becomes more comfortable with these new people and the new environment, his mind stops going back ‘ home’ and the child does not realize that he has spent so many hours away from home.
Very soon, the classroom, the teacher and his classmates become his safe haven. We at Orange Seeds nursery do just that! Your child benefits from this ‘smart’ settling in process and enjoys the stress free experience of the settling in week.