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The Premier Guide to Preschools & Day Care: Columbia, SC

Are you looking for preschools and daycare in Columbia, SC? The area has a lot of options including half-day daycare and preschool, full-day options. You can sort our Preschool and Daycare Guide by categories, including Christian preschools and religiously affiliated schools, as well as secular preschools, or by location.

Just use the buttons in the orange box below to sort preschools and find the right preschool or childcare for your family!

Columbia, SC Preschools & Day Care Centers by County

• Richland County Preschool and Day Care
• Lexington County Preschool and Day Care

Columbia, SC: Preschools & Child Care Centers by City

• Blythewood, SC and Elgin, SC Preschools & Day Care
• Downtown Columbia, SC Preschools & Day Care
• Irmo, SC Prescholols & Day Care
• Lexington, SC Preschools & Day Care
• West Columbia, SC Preschools & Day Care

Preschools & Day By Age

• Infant Child Care in Columbia, SC
• Toddler Child Care in Columbia, SC
• K2 Preschool in Columbia, SC
• K3 Preschools in Columbia, SC
• K4 Preschools in Columbia, SC
• K5 Preschools in Columbia, SC
• School-age Afterschool & Break Care in Columbia, SC

Child Care & Preschool By Schedule

• Full Day Preschools
• Half Day Preschools
• Full Day Child Care
• Half Day Child Care Near Columbia, SC
• After School Child Care

Montessori Early Learning Center

803. 772.2262
1101 Balsam Road, Columbia, SC

• Montessori Early Learning Center Website

Montessori Early Learning Center is a private school with an education curriculum based on Montessori-style learning.
The facility has 6 primary, multi-aged classrooms. The facility has observation mirrors installed in every classroom door for parent use at any time without an appointment.

College Of Early Learning

1313 Means Avenue, Columbia, SC

• College Of Early Learning Website

Private Montessori school for Pre-K through 12th grade

Eastminster Presbyterian Day School

803.256.1654
3200 Trenholm Road, Columbia, SC

• Eastminster Day School Website

Half-Day and Full-Day Preschool Programs in Columbia, SC for infants-4 years old

Beulah United Methodist Church

803. 892.3793
161 Beulah Church Road, Gilbert, SC

• Beulah United Methodist Church Preschool Website

Preschool program for ages 6 weeks old to 4 years old

Big Blue Marble Academy

3 Locations, Columbia, SC

• Big Blue Marble Academy

• Programs for infants-4K
• Before & After School Programs, including pick up from local schools.
• Summer Camps

Locations in West Columbia, Lexington, and Irmo:

3912 Leaphart Rd, West Columbia
110 Hadleigh Drive, Lexington
101 North Royal Tower Drive, Irmo

MEGA CDC

803.892.4496
3630 Augusta Highway, Gilbert, SC

• MEGA CDC Website

MEGA Child Development Center offers full day programming for 2-4 year olds.

Trinity Learning Center

803.254.5819
1100 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC

• Trinity Learning Center Website

Trinity Learning Center in Columbia, SC offers full day preschool programming for infants through 5-year-olds.

Spring Valley Baptist Preschool

803.736.7710
91 Polo Road, Columbia, SC

• Spring Valley Baptist Preschool Website

Half-Day Preschool in Columbia for ages 1-4 at Spring Valley Baptist Church. The half-day, play-based program is from 9 am to noon, weekdays.

Timmerman School

803.782.2748
2219 Atascadero Drive , Columbia, SC

• Timmerman School Website

Timmerman School is an SCISA Accredited private school in Columbia, SC for grades K – 12.
They offer academics, athletics, and fine arts.

The high school program receives their education through Connections Academy with on-campus private teacher assistance.

Grace Christian School

803.794.8996
416 Denham Avenue, West Columbia, SC

• Grace Christian School Website

Grace Christian School offers traditional education with a Christ-centered approach. They offer academics, athletics, fine arts, and spiritual development programs.
They offer educational programs from PreK – 12th grade.
Grace Christian School also has an Early Learning Center for infants (6 weeks old) – 2 years old.

Heyward Street Methodist Preschool

803.771.4540
2501 Heyward Street, Columbia, SC

• Heyward Street Methodist Preschool Website

Heyward Street Methodist Preschool offers half-day programming for 2, 3, and 4 year olds. You can choose between 2, 3, or 5 days per week.

Union Day School

803.781.0630
7582 Woodrow Street, Irmo, SC

• Union Day School Website

Union Day School offers full time preschool programming for children ages 6 weeks to two years old.

Harmony School SC

803.787.1899
3737 Covenant Road , Columbia, SC

• Harmony School SC Website

Harmony School is a private school offering pre-K – Elementary school education. Their blended curriculum is inspired by Waldorf, Montessori, and Inquiry based learning.

The school also offers after-school care.

Bright Horizons Preschool

803.667.4235
1835 Assembly Street, Suite 113, Columbia, SC

• Bright Horizons Preschool Website

Programs for infants – preschoolers, including kindergarten prep, located at the Columbia Federal Center.

Holland Avenue Baptist Church

803.794.9133
801 12th Street, Cayce, SC

• Holland Avenue Baptist Church Website

Holland Avenue Baptist Church offers a half-day preschool program for children 6 weeks old through kindergarten.

McGregor Presbyterian Preschool

803.781.2539
6505 St Andrews Road, Columbia, SC

• McGregor Presbyterian Preschool Website

McGregor Presbyterian Preschool offers classes for 1 year olds through 4 year olds. You can choose from 2, 3, or 5 days per week. Classes are half-days.

Saint Joseph Catholic School

803.254.6736
3700 Devine Street, Columbia, SC

• Saint Joseph Catholic School Website

Saint Joseph Catholic School offers a traditional education with cutting-edge teaching techniques combined with Catholic teachings based on the Diocese of Charleston.
Grades: 4K- 6th grade
In addition, they offer enrichment courses such as art, music, physical education, guidance, technology, and Spanish

Saxa Gotha Presbyterian Child Development Center

803.359.2058
5503 Sunset Boulevard, Lexingtong, SC

• Saxa Gotha Presbyterian CDC Website

Saxa Gotha Presbyterian Child Development Center has preschool classes and programs for children ages 2 through 4. There’s also an Afterschool Program for kindergartners through 5th graders.

Living Springs Lutheran Church Child Development Center

803.736.0776
4224 HardScrabble Road, Columbia, SC

• Living Springs Lutheran Church Child Development Center Website

Living Springs Lutheran Church Child Development Center has full-day classes for infants through 4/5 year olds.

Lexington Baptist Preschool

803.359.2866
308 E Main Street, Lexington, SC

• Lexington Baptist Preschool

Lexington Baptist Preschool has classes for children 18 months old through 5K. There are options to choose between 2, 3, and 4 day attendance.

Spring Valley Presbyterian Church Preschool

803.788.4005
125 Sparkleberry Lane, Columbia, SC

• Spring Valley Presbyterian Church Preschool Website

Spring Valley Presbyterian Church Preschool offers 2, 3, and 5 days a week programming for children ages 2-4. Preschool days are half days, but there’s an extended care option, too.

Brookland Academy Child Development Center

803.744.7918
1054 Sunset Boulevard, West Columbia, SC

• Brookland Academy Child Development Center Website

Full-day preschool programming for infants (6 weeks old)-4 years old. The school is located at Brookland Baptist Church.

Mt Olive Lutheran Church

803.781.5845
1541 Lake Murray Boulevard, Columbia, SC

• Mt. Olive Lutheran Church Preschool Website

Mt Olive Lutheran Church Preschool is a half-day program for children ages 2-4.

Asbury Memorial UMC Preschool

803.776.8121
1005 Asbury Drive, Columbia, SC

• Asbury Memorial UMC Preschool Website

Preschool and kindergarten in Columbia, SC for ages toddlers and ages 2-5. Programs are partial day and there are options for attendance 3-5 days per week.

Northside Christian Academy

803.520.5656
4347 Sunset Boulevard, Lexington, SC

• Northside Christian Academy Website

Northside Christian Academy is a private school located in Lexington County.
The school offers a Christ-centered education for grades K -12.
In addition to academics, they offer athletics and arts programs.

They also have an Early Education Center for children ages 6 weeks old through kindergarten.

Cadence Academy Preschool

803.999.4081
3 locations, Columbia, SC

• Cadence Academy Preschool Harbison Website
• Cadence Academy Preschool Lexington Website
• Cadence Academy Preschool Northeast Website

Childcare Programs for:

• Infants (6 weeks-1 year)
• Toddlers (1-2 years old)
• Early Learners (2-3 years old)
• Preschool (3-4 years old)
• Pre-K (4-5 years old)
• School-Age (5-12 years old)

Locations in Harbison, SC, Lexington, SC and Northeast Columbia, SC:

450 Columbiana Drive, Columbia
5307 Sunset Boulevard, Lexington
1130 Sparkleberry Lane Extension, Columbia

After School Program at Cadence Academy: Includes homework help and free transportation from schools local to each Cadence Academy location

Summer Camp: Full-day summer camp for ages 5 to 12 that offer fun and activities to prepare kids for the next school year.

5 Star Academy

803.939.0950
725 Raleigh Street, West Columbia, SC

• 5 Star Academy

Preschool Program for Infants-4K

St. John Neumann Catholic School

803.788.1367
721 Polo Road, Columbia, SC

• St. John Neumann Catholic School Website

St. John Neumann Catholic School offers a combination of traditional education courses with Catholic teachings.
Grades: Preschool – 6th grade
The school also offers extended care, advanced math, community service opportunities, and special interest courses.

Mt Hebron Dayschool

803.794.8275
3050 Leaphart Road, West Columbia, SC

• Mt Hebron Dayschool Website

Mt Hebron Dayschool has half-day preschool programs for infants through kindergarten.

Pisgah Child Development Ministries

803.358.9577
1350 Pisgah Church Road, Lexington, SC

• Pisgah Child Development Ministries

Pisgah Child Development Ministries has programs and classes for children ages 18 months through 5 years old.

Aspire Early Learning Academy

803.859.4164
Columbia, SC

• Aspire Early Learning Academy Website

Preschool program in Columbia, SC and Lexington, SC for 4K

Heathwood Hall Episcopal School

803.765.2309
3000 South Beltline Boulevard, Columbia, SC

• Heathwood Hall Website

Heathwood Hall Episcopal School offers education from ages 2 (nursery school) through 12th grade. The campus is situated on 122 acres of wooded wetlands and incorporated natural “outdoor” education into its curriculum.

Kathwood Baptist Preschool

803.787.3434
4900 Trenholm Road, Columbia, SC

• Kathwood Baptist Website

Kathwood Baptist offers a preschool program for children 6 weeks through 4 years old. There are full-time and part-time options.

Love Learning Center

803.575.0322
411 Lexington Avenue, Chapin, SC

• Love Learning Center Website

Love Learning Center has classes for children 8 weeks through Pre-K. Programs are full-time.

Chesterbrook Academy

877.271.4487
1050 Wildwood Centre Drive, Columbia, SC

• Chesterbrook Academy Website

Full-Day preschool and daycare for ages 18 months – Pre-K designed to prepare kids for kindergarten.

Lake Murray Presbyterian Day School

803.345.1152
2771 Dutch Fork Road, Chapin, SC

• Lake Murray Presbyterian Day School Website

Lake Murray Presbyterian Day School is a preschool program for children ages 6 weeks old through 5 years old. There’s a full-day program and a part-time program.

Incarnation Lutheran Child Development Center

803.256.7456
3005 Devine Street, Columbia, SC

• Incarnation Lutheran Child Development Center Website

The Incarnation Lutheran Child Development Center has preschool programming for children who are 8 weeks old through 4 years old. There’s also an After School Program.

Ben Lippen School

803.807.4000
Multiple campuses, Columbia, SC

• Ben Lippen School Website

Ben Lippen Schools is a private, Christ-centered school for preschool -12th grade.
They have three campuses in the Columbia, SC area.

Monticello Road Campus: Pre-K3 through 12th Grade
7401 Monticello Road, Columbia

Northeast Campus: Pre-K4 through 1st Grade
3513 Hard Scrabble Road, Columbia

St. Andrews Road Campus: Pre-K3 through 4th Grade
500 St. Andrews Road, Columbia

Montessori School of Columbia

803.783.8838
411 South Maple Street, Columbia, SC

• Montessori School of Columbia

• Primary Program for 3-6 year olds
• Lower Elementary Program for 6-9 year olds
• Upper Elementary for 9-12 year olds
• Middle School for 12-15 year olds

Trenholm Road United Methodist Preschool

803.254.9848
3401 Trenholm Road, Columbia, SC

• Trenholm Road United Methodist Preschool Website

Trenholm Road United Methodist Preschool has full time programming for children ages 6 weeks to 4 years. They also have an afterschool program for grades 5K through 5th grade.

Center for Learning

803.254.0068
2729 Covenant Road, Columbia, SC

• Center for Learning Website

CFL is an Independent Early Childhood Program offering care for children 12 months to 4 years of age in their Child Development Program.

CFL also offers kindergarten through 5th grade in their academy program.

Midlands Montessori School

803.356.6434
140 Gibson Road Suite C, Lexington, SC

• Midlands Montessori School Website

Midlands Montessori School offers full day programming for children ages 3-6 years old.

Shandon Weekday School

803.799.8533
607 Woodrow Street, Columbia, SC

• Shandon Weekday School Website

• Full-Day preschool and childcare for infants through 4K
• After-school program for 5K-8th grade (year-round or school year only)
• Full-Day Summer Camp for 5K-8th grade

Summer Discover Camp: Program is a full day from 7 am until 6:30 pm. Kids are divided by grade level and participate in extra mini camps (with no additional charge) like Art, Soccer Shots, Literacy Legends, Sports Superstars, and Clay Sculpting.

Cutler Jewish Day School

803.782.1831
5827 N Trenholm Road, Columbia, SC

• Cutler Jewish Day School Website

Programming for infants-5th graders. Preschool programming goes through 5 years old.

Lake Murray Baptist

803.957.1435
1001 Highway 378 West, Lexington, SC

• Lake Murray Baptist Preschool Website

Lake Murray Baptist Preschool offers programs for children ages 1 through 5 years old.

Bethel United Methodist

803.787.3089
4600 Daniel Drive, Columbia, SC

• Bethel United Methodist Preschool Website

Preschool program for 8 weeks to 4 years old in Columbia, SC

Lake Carolina Early Learning Center

803. 419.8858
41 Helton Drive, Columbia, SC

• Lake Carolina Early Learning Center Website

Lake Carolina Early Learning Center offers preschool programs for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years

Midlands Primary Learning Center

803.479.8983
203 Hendrix Street, Lexington, SC

• Midlands Primary Learning Center Website

Midlands Primary Learning Center has full day preschool classes for children ages 2-4 years old.

North Trenholm Baptist Church

803.790.5104
6515 N. Trenholm Road, Columbia, SC

• North Trenholm Baptist Church Weekday Preschool Website

North Trenholm Baptist Church has a Weekday Preschool for children ages 12 months-4 years old. School days are full days.

How Other Nations Pay for Child Care. The U.S. Is an Outlier.

The Upshot|How Other Nations Pay for Child Care. The U.S. Is an Outlier.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/06/upshot/child-care-biden.html

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Rich countries contribute an average of $14,000 per year for a toddler’s care, compared with $500 in the U.S. The Democrats’ spending bill tries to shrink the gap.

Oct. 6, 2021

Image

Children, ages 2 and 3, eating lunch at a public child care center in Denmark.Credit…Mathias Svold for The New York Times

Typical 2-year-olds in Denmark attend child care during the day, where they are guaranteed a spot, and their parents pay no more than 25 percent of the cost. That guaranteed spot will remain until the children are in after-school care at age 10. If their parents choose to stay home or hire a nanny, the government helps pay for that, too.

Two-year-olds in the United States are less likely to attend formal child care. If they do, their parents pay full price — an average $1,100 a month — and compete to find a spot. If their parents stay home or find another arrangement, they are also on their own to finance it, as they will be until kindergarten.

In the developed world, the United States is an outlier in its low levels of financial support for young children’s care — something Democrats, with their safety net spending bill, are trying to change. The U.S. spends 0.2 percent of its G.D.P. on child care for children 2 and under — which amounts to about $200 a year for most families, in the form of a once-a-year tax credit for parents who pay for care.

The other wealthy countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development spend an average of 0.7 percent of G.D.P. on toddlers, mainly through heavily subsidized child care. Denmark, for example, spends $23,140 annually per child on care for children 2 and under.

“We as a society, with public funding, spend so much less on children before kindergarten than once they reach kindergarten,” said Elizabeth Davis, an economist studying child care at the University of Minnesota. “And yet the science of child development shows how very important investment in the youngest ages are, and we get societal benefits from those investments.”

Congress is negotiating the details of the spending bill, and many elements are likely to be cut to decrease the cost. The current draft of the child care plan would make attendance at licensed child care centers free for the lowest-earning families, and it would cost no more than 7 percent of family income for those earning up to double the state’s median income. It would provide universal public preschool for children ages 3 and 4. And it would increase the pay of child care workers and preschool teachers to be equivalent to elementary teachers (currently, the median hourly wage for a preschool teacher of 4-year-olds is $14.67, and for a kindergarten teacher of 5-year-olds $32.80).

Among the 38 nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United States is second only to Luxembourg on education spending for elementary school through college. But Americans have long had mixed feelings about whether young children should stay home with family or go to child care. Some Republicans say direct payments to parents would give them the choice to enroll in child care or stay home. Though many conservative-leaning states have public preschool, some Republicans have said they do not want the federal government involved. Some business groups oppose how the Biden spending bill would be paid for: increased taxes on businesses and wealthy Americans.

The pandemic, though, has forced the issue.

“I’ve been writing these reports saying this is a crisis for more than 30 years — it’s not new,” said Gina Adams, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute. “But the pandemic reminded people that child care is a linchpin of our economy. Parents can’t work without it. It’s gotten to a point where the costs of not investing are much, much more clear.”

Overall, federal, state and local governments spend about $1,000 a year on care for low-income children ages 2 and under, and $200 on other toddlers, according to a paper for the Hamilton Project at Brookings, by Professor Davis and Aaron Sojourner, also an economist at the University of Minnesota.

Some states and cities offer public preschool, starting at age 3 or 4. But just seven states (and the District of Columbia) serve more than half of 4-year-olds, and 14 states have no public preschool or serve less than 10 percent of children, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research.

Kaitlyn Parker, a teacher, with students at the Omaha Tribe Early Head Start in Macy, Neb. Head Start provides free child care for low-income families, but relatively few children receive the benefit.Credit…Sioux City Journal Tim Hynds/Sioux City Journal, via Associated Press

For children under 3, only the poorest working families qualify for subsidies, through Early Head Start or the child care block grant, but fewer than one in six eligible children receive the help. For most families, the only direct government support for early care and education comes from the child and dependent care tax credit. It benefits higher earners most: The average credit is $586, and $124 for the lowest earners.

The situation is much different in many rich countries. In Europe, new parents have paid leaves of 14 months, on average, and it’s common for children to start public school at age 3. (In the preschool years, the focus in on play — toddlers aren’t sitting at desks doing worksheets.)

For children ages 1 and 2, parents are expected to pay more for child care, and there are similar tensions as in the United States about whether it’s best for children to be home with their parents, said Hans Bos, senior vice president studying education policy at the American Institutes for Research. But governments still pay a significant portion of the cost of care — including payments for stay-at-home parents in countries including Finland, South Korea and Denmark.

Nordic countries have the most generous child care systems, including free care for low-income families. In Denmark, in addition to heavily subsidized care for children up to age 10, which is mostly government-run but includes private centers and home-based care, parents of toddlers receive a quarterly child benefit of $700.

A Danish public child care center. The country guarantees that parents pay no more than 25 percent of the cost of care from the time their children are babies.Credit…Mathias Svold for The New York Times

In Germany, children can attend forms of “kita” from early months through elementary school. In some places, parents pay tuition based on their income, and in others, including Berlin and Hamburg, it is free. In France, parents of babies and toddlers receive tax credits of up to 85 percent of the cost of attending child care centers called crèches or hiring home-based “childminders,” before public preschool begins at age 2 or 3.

Parents pay a much larger share of their earnings in certain other countries, but still receive more government assistance than in the United States. Japan has subsidized child care, but parents’ share of tuition is large and it is very hard to find spots. England and Ireland offer free preschool, but only for a few hours a day.

Governments sometimes help pay for child care to further various policy goals.

One is increasing fertility (though studies have found government policies don’t necessarily make people have more babies over the long run).

Another goal is increasing women’s labor force participation. In Europe, research shows, child care has had a bigger effect on this measure than policies like paid parental leave. Studies in the United States have also found that subsidized child care and preschool increase the chance that mothers keep working, particularly low-income women.

A third goal is ensuring that children of all backgrounds are equally prepared. Rich families can more easily afford high-quality care, which contributes to achievement gaps as early as kindergarten. Research in the United States shows that children are less likely to have formal child care if their parents are low earners, Hispanic or aren’t college graduates. Universal programs have been shown to shrink the gap in kindergarten readiness. Yet in the United States, one in three American children start kindergarten without any preschool at all.

A correction was made on 

Oct. 7, 2021

: 

An earlier version of a photo caption with this article misstated the location of a public child care center. The center is in Denmark, not the Netherlands. 

How we handle corrections

Claire Cain Miller writes about gender, families and the future of work for The Upshot. She joined The Times in 2008 and was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for public service for reporting on workplace sexual harassment issues. More about Claire Cain Miller

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section A, Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: Bill Would Aid U.S. in Closing Child Care Gap. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

recommendations for parents on the successful early adaptation of children to kindergarten, reviews of child psychologists

With such difficulty, having received a place in a preschool institution, parents are relieved to pass the crumbs from hand to hand, even on the way to kindergarten making plans for the coming day. But suddenly, a deafening roar. The kid categorically refuses to enter the group, clings to his hair, hands, clothes. Common situation? With such heartbreaking scenes, many families begin the adaptation of a child to kindergarten.

Parents are confused and don’t know what to do. These hesitations of adults, the readiness to follow the lead are immediately read by the child, and now he will hysteria more than ever in order to achieve his goal and stay at home. The peanut can be understood, because before that he was with caring and loving parents who understand him without words, but here you have to listen to someone else’s aunt in everything, and even so many unfamiliar children around . .. It’s not easy for parents either, their heart is torn from experiences. Often, mothers send their child to kindergarten not of their own free will, but because they are forced to go to work, which gives rise to guilt and doubt in the heart. How to be in such a situation? We deal with psychologists.

What is adaptation

Traditionally, this concept includes the process of a person getting used to new conditions, adapting to an unfamiliar environment. This is a universal phenomenon, characteristic of all living organisms. A child in a new environment can be compared to a young sapling. Even with careful transplantation, fertilizing, watering and loosening the soil, the tree for the first time, while it takes root in a new place, gets sick, turns yellow, and maybe catch some kind of infection with reduced immunity. So are children.

All children are different and each adapts to kindergarten in their own way. It depends on a lot of factors: age, health status, level of physical and mental development, the nature of family relationships and the characteristics of upbringing.

Many children experience a lot of stress when they first visit kindergarten. Since the need for friendly communication arises in children after 4 years, then in order to prevent a negative attitude towards kindergarten, especially in case of neuro-somatic problems, it makes sense to send children not younger than 3-3.5 years to kindergarten. Of course, not every parent has the opportunity to keep a child at home until he is 3 years old, and even more so 4-5. Situations in the family are different, but if adults understand that they will not be able to take the baby to the kindergarten before reaching this age, they need to try a lot to minimize the possible negative consequences of adaptation.

But it often happens that mom and dad don’t make any effort to teach the baby basic things – how to use the potty, hold a spoon, dress and undress on their own. They think: “He will go to kindergarten, they will teach him everything there.” As a result, the baby’s inability to easily and quickly fulfill new requirements is supplemented by internal discomfort, emotional dissatisfaction, and stress from separation from parents. All this is fraught with serious mental trauma. Therefore, it is so important to choose the right moment, if possible, prepare the child in advance for the fact that he will go to kindergarten, and also do not forget to remind him that you love him and cherish him.

Useful information about a child’s adaptation to kindergarten

Types of adaptation to kindergarten

There are several types of adaptation to kindergarten. It is very difficult to predict what a particular baby will have, because it depends on his individual characteristics.

Active

Photo: pixabay.com

This is the most common type. For the first 2-3 weeks, the child is sad, worries, cries, looks out for parents at the window, and then his emotional state returns to normal, he feels more confident and safe.

Passive

Outwardly, nothing changes in the baby’s behavior. He does not hysteria, does not cry, does not cling to his mother, willingly goes to a group of children – changes concern other aspects of life. For example, a child’s sleep is disturbed, his appetite disappears, he is naughty in the evenings, refusing to go to water procedures. Over time, the situation returns to normal and the condition of the crumbs is getting better.

Delayed

This kind of adaptation to kindergarten comes as a real surprise to parents. At first, the baby attends the group as if he had gone there all his life. No tears or tantrums. But after 2-3 weeks, the day comes when he flatly refuses to go to kindergarten, sobs in the locker room, does not want to go to the group. Further, the adaptation process proceeds according to the scheme of the active type.

Failed

The child does not get used to the garden either after two or three weeks, or after several months. He refuses to comply with the regime, has poor or no contact with other children and the teacher, and even by the time he moves to school, he does not adapt to the new environment and living conditions.

Early adaptation

Experts do not distinguish it as a separate species, but such a phenomenon exists in practice. This is the name of the process of getting used to the garden of a young child. This happens when it becomes necessary to send a 1.5-2-year-old baby to the kindergarten, and maybe even a younger child. Such children are accepted into a special nursery group, adapted to age-related developmental characteristics. Of course, this is associated with certain difficulties and problems, because at this age, kids are very attached to their parents, and besides, they are not yet able to correctly perceive the speech of an adult, they cannot respond appropriately to the appeal. Their nervous system is less mobile, they are more difficult to distract and calm.

But early adaptation also has advantages. It is easier and faster for mothers to wean a child from the breast, although this, of course, is not the main thing. So the baby gradually and unobtrusively enters the mode, gets used to the alternative reality and develops faster under the guidance of experienced teachers.

Phases of adaptation

In addition, there are three phases of the process of habituation, successively replacing each other. Each of them has its own duration, but it should be remembered that these are averaged data. They are also determined by the personal and other characteristics of the crumbs.

Acute phase or maladjustment

At this stage, there is a regression of the somatic and psychological state, which can cause frequent respiratory illnesses, weight loss, speech development delay. The duration is usually 1 month.

Subacute phase or adaptation

The child’s mood improves, the manifestation of negative changes decreases. But the rate of formation of skills and abilities, especially psychological ones, remains slow compared to the norms. Lasts 3-5 weeks.

Compensation phase

Otherwise, adaptation period. The pace of development accelerates, and by the end of the school year surpasses the existing delay. The psycho-emotional background is leveled.

Tips for parents on successfully adapting their children to kindergarten

Photo: Stephen Andrews, unsplash.com

Don’t expect the process to go away on its own without some effort. It is necessary to find a golden mean between softness and hardness, concessions and demands. You can come up with some kind of farewell ritual, for example, smacking your nose, and repeat it over and over again when parting. The more repetitive and well-known, and the more pleasant actions, the better. After all, a protected environment, where everything is clear and stable, is very important for children.

Less anxiety, more confidence

A Norwegian study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology suggests that better understanding of children’s emotions and less parental anxiety reduce behavioral problems in preschool children (1). In this connection, we can give advice to try to show sincere interest in what the baby did in the kindergarten, how his day went, what he learned new. If the baby sees that mom and dad are actively involved in his life, the adaptation process will be easier. And, of course, there is no need to worry and be sad, parting with the child on the threshold of the group – this mood will be transmitted to him.

Set up a routine

Ideally, you should start a new life with early rises and going to bed long before visiting kindergarten. Researchers in Singapore have shown that a good night’s sleep in infancy and preschool years has a beneficial effect on cognitive processes and memory, and increases cognitive readiness for school (2). It is worth accustoming the child to sleep at lunchtime.

And it will not be superfluous to find out what dishes are prepared in the selected garden, and to introduce the baby to his future menu in advance.

Diversify the circle of communication

If a child does not communicate with anyone other than his parents, has little contact with children on the playground, then it will be more difficult for him to adapt to new conditions. It’s bad if he doesn’t let his mother go a single step, every time falling into hysterics when she leaves the house. In such cases, gradually teach the baby to be only with dad or grandmother, go to visit relatives, take the child to playgrounds and playrooms more often so that he interacts with peers, learns to share toys, and shows interest in joint activities. The larger the circle of communication the child will have, the easier he will join the new team.

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Reviews of child psychologists about the adaptation of the child to the kindergarten

Shared her opinion Anna Pavlova, narrative psychologist, teacher, curriculum compiler :

— Successful adaptation of the child to kindergarten and getting used to the new environment, social conditions and communication first of all starts with parents. There are several important aspects here.

1. Despite the fact that sometimes parents dream of sending their child to kindergarten in order to free up at least some time, in reality, mothers are often not ready to be far from the baby, and her level of anxiety increases. The psychological space of a child and a mother up to 3-4 years old is one. And, of course, this anxiety is read by the baby, only he reacts to it much stronger and with the available tools that he has and that he has taught: diseases, tantrums, stupor, unwillingness to communicate, etc.
2. The garden is often presented as a kind of deliverance from many problems, and most importantly, parents associate with greater freedom. In fact, you need to be prepared that in the first year the baby will be there only half the time, the rest will be spent on the very adaptation: sick leave, morning fight with tantrums. And the child’s anxiety will be associated with this constant expectation from him, like “when you finally get well, when you go to the garden, etc.” This is a rather difficult and not very understandable experience for the baby. The garden should be one of the options where the child can spend time, not his job.
3. Kindergarten becomes a way out of social isolation not only for the child, but also for the parents. And just like in children, in adults, many organizational and communication issues cause irritation, such as: the requirements of educators that everyone eat the same thing and go to bed during the day, parental chats, the inability to pick up the child at bedtime or be late for 5 -15 minutes, poems that teachers ask to learn with kids, active behavior of other parents. And how parents will relate to this process, children will also relate in exactly the same way. When you fall in love with this garden, nannies, other parents and everything attached, you begin to praise and thank them, the child will adapt faster.

As for the baby himself, there are things that he may encounter in the garden for the first time. They may not be very pleasant for the crumbs. If parents prepare the child for these issues in advance, then it will be easier for him to adapt. Here are the points to pay attention to.

• In the garden, children are constantly faced with comparisons, this cannot be avoided, but the interpretation of adults can be traumatic: “Vasya molded the mushroom faster than you – he did a good job.” Such comparisons devalue the child. Therefore, you need to play these situations in advance and draw supportive conclusions together with the baby: all people are different, everyone does everything in their own way, someone is faster and better in one, someone in another, this is normal. It is necessary to convey to the baby that mother’s and father’s love does not depend on who sculpts mushrooms, paints pictures and dances.
• Many parents try not to forbid something for children under five years old, but in the garden there is some system of rules, and they include restrictions. If you do not take children to a Waldorf or Montessori kindergarten (well, or to any other where you can agree on rules and exceptions), then you will have to find a way to introduce regime and disciplinary moments into the child’s life in advance. Otherwise, these aspects will be associated in the child exclusively with the garden, and this will add to the negative.
• In the garden, for the first time, the child is faced with the fact that he is “not the best”, and this knowledge can be very traumatic. Or maybe not, if you play these situations in advance. Firstly, it is necessary that the child himself does not always keep the “best” for himself, but shares it with his grandmother, mother, father, brother – then it will not be a shame in the garden that he received an apple, a toy, attention is not the first. Secondly, you need to make it clear “that the aunt-educator has a unique child – this is her son, and you are unique for me and dad.” Then the child will perceive not a special attitude towards himself as the norm.

Remember that kindergarten is another space, unfamiliar to a child. It makes sense to go there “on a tour” for a week or two, forming his interest in advance: “Well, when you go here, then, of course, you can play with this toy.”

There is no ideal age for adapting to kindergarten as such. Here the skills and the habit of following some simple rules are more important. A child who knows how to fasten Velcro shoes, eats with a spoon and goes to the potty, and who understands that during the day you need to relax and go to a quiet hour, adapts more easily. The baby, who needs help in these operations and the adoption of some rules, will be more difficult. It is on these grounds that they are now being transferred to older groups.

If we talk about a nursery, then a child who can play on his own for some time and who has experience of successfully interacting with other children and adults adapts more easily.

Photo: pixabay.com

Clinical psychologist Elena Sidorova narrates :

— Adaptation to kindergarten is based on two things: calm adults and an adequate assessment of what is happening by the child. It is important to have a clear, stable internal decision of the parents that the child goes to kindergarten. If doubts arise, children instantly “push through” their parents. So the idea is fixed that it’s enough to be naughty, and mom will leave her at home. Going to the garden should become a system for the baby that does not fail, even if you really want to. This is especially true for the initial stage.

Often at first, the baby starts crying, mother’s heart contracts, and with great difficulty and tears in her eyes, she tears him away from her. The child sees this and does not understand why it is necessary to suffer. If you are having a hard time, arrange with other family members who will cope with this task. It is often easier for dads to take their children to the garden – they react more calmly.

Parents should know that the absence of a routine hinders successful adaptation. If a child is used to getting up at lunchtime, eating only cereal with milk, and not sleeping for a long time during the day, then the kindergarten mode will be frightening for him. Early rises quickly deplete the child’s psyche, capriciousness will be added against the background of lack of sleep. Therefore, in advance, a few months in advance, it is worth starting to shift the regimen and bring it closer to kindergarten.

Parenting scare stories are a great way to make your child afraid to go to kindergarten. Often, fathers or mothers tell the baby how they hated porridge with lumps, how they flew from the nanny, and other horror stories. Naturally, after this, the child will expect bad things from the kindergarten. It is better to choose a few good books about kindergarten, find educational cartoons or programs on this topic. Show and tell the baby how good it will be there. This will create positive reinforcement and help them adapt to kindergarten more quickly.

Regarding the ideal age of adaptation to new conditions, the opinions of psychologists differ. Some believe that up to 4.5-5 years the child does not need to socialize at all and it is enough to be only in the circle of loved ones, thereby receiving maximum attention. But let’s be realistic: children go to kindergarten not at the request of their parents and at the right time. For the most part, this happens because the parent needs to go to work, or another child has appeared, or a place has “turned up” in a good kindergarten. Therefore, there is no need to talk about choice here.

However, it should be borne in mind that the most unfortunate time for a baby to adapt to new conditions is a brightly flowing crisis of three years. The child’s nervous system is under stress and needs stability. Therefore, it is better to go to the garden until 2.5 years old or after the crisis – at 3.5 years old, focusing on the stable, calm state of the baby. But the idea of ​​​​going to kindergarten for a year before school is not the most successful. The child has to merge into an already established team, get used to new conditions, and also learn a lot quickly. Most likely, most of the knowledge of the preparatory group will not be assimilated, since the main forces will be spent on adaptation.

Popular questions and answers

Parents who want their child to quickly get used to new living conditions will be interested to know the answers to questions that often worry moms and dads.

What should a child know before going to kindergarten? How to understand that he is ready for this?

It depends on his age, physical and mental development. A three-year-old baby should already be able to eat with a spoon, go to the potty, talk, dress and shoe on their own, at least partially, for example, put on shoes with Velcro.

How long does it take for a child to adjust to kindergarten?

Every baby has a different course. For some, a few days are enough to get used to, and someone does not adapt to the new environment even after a month. Many depend on teachers who take responsibility for helping parents in the development of the baby, his peace of mind, joyful perception of new conditions for themselves.

What should I do if my child does not like kindergarten?

First of all, don’t panic and don’t look for someone to blame. It is necessary to give the baby time to adapt, but at the same time keep abreast, constantly be in contact with caregivers. It makes sense to inform them about the features of the physical and mental development of the baby, if they are, ask for a more attentive attitude. It’s good if teachers in kindergarten keep a special development map, according to which you can track the progress of addiction.

How can parents stop worrying about their child while they are in kindergarten?

There is no template recommendation here that will help everyone. Someone is calmer if he knows that the teacher has a lot of experience and a lot of regalia, while someone feels confident only if the teacher is pleasant as a person, inspires confidence. Anxiety at first is normal, but it will pass as quickly as the baby will adapt to new conditions.

References

1. Pathways to behavior problems in Norwegian kindergarten children: The role of parent emotion socialization and child emotion understanding // Rune F Bjørk, Sophie S Havighurst, Francisco Pons // Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. 2020.
   URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32567705/
2. Associations between sleep trajectories up to 54 months and cognitive school readiness in 4 year old preschool children // Elaine Kwang Hsia Tham, Hai-Yan Xu, Xiuju Fu // Frontiers in Psychology. 2023.
   URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37057174/

Uncomfortable questions about the kindergarten: what to do if the child does not want to go there, how to understand that he is not well there, etc.

Kindergarten is a place where a child learns to read and write, communicate with peers, makes friends. But sometimes socialization is hard. How to cope with the problems of adaptation to kindergarten, says Gestalt therapist Uliana Kustova.

Question: Hello! My son is 4 years old. He went to kindergarten at the age of 3. He looked like 6 months, from the age of 4 I decided to transfer him to a new kindergarten. The reason is that the educators complained every day about the behavior of their son, allegedly he beat or pinched the children and even the educators or trainees. On playgrounds, this story continues. This also happens at home. If my son doesn’t get something, he can scream. He can also take away toys from children or a bicycle on the playground. My grandmother and I talk to him and explain that you should always ask before taking a toy from someone (beating or pinching, and even more so), but so far no results are visible. What should we do?

Answer: The reasons for children’s disobedience and aggression may be a struggle for attention or for self-assertion or a desire for revenge. You also need to listen to your own feelings. How do you feel when your child takes away toys, refuses to go to kindergarten, or pinches other people?

The emotional reaction of the parent is a mirror of the hidden experiences of the child. If you are annoyed, angry, worried about him, then most likely it is really a lack of attention and your baby is trying to inform you about it in this way. In this case, it is important to show your love and positive attention to him: notice the child, be interested in his life, talk with him about what he is interested in, engage in joint activities, play or go for walks together.

This should be done during periods of relative calm, when the child does not bully anyone or show obvious signs of disobedience, and you feel good.

Episodes of disobedience are best left unattended

Then the child will eventually realize that it is not possible to achieve your favor by the previous methods, and soon he himself will refuse them as unnecessary.

It is also important to talk and communicate with a child. But do this not from the position of moralizing, remarks or accusations. Psychologists recommend using the technique of active listening when communicating with children. It lies in the fact that you do not go into an assessment or interpretation of a person’s actions or feelings, but paraphrase in a conversation what was told to you, denoting and naming the feeling. For example:

– I don’t want to go to kindergarten!

– You don’t want to go to kindergarten, you are upset and upset that you have to go there now.

At first, such statements may sound strange, but their meaning is that they mirror the experience, so the child feels heard. A general outline of how to communicate effectively with children with behavioral problems is given in the book How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and How to Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.

How to discuss problems with your child:

• describe the problem, describe what you see;
• provide information;
• communicate your feelings to the child;
• briefly formulate and propose a solution to the problem.

All this in the form of statements that you address to your children. Let’s go back to the example of not wanting to go to kindergarten.

Parent: I see you are upset and upset, you don’t want to get up early and go to kindergarten. You want to stay at home and spend more time with me. (Problem description.)

Child: Yes!

Parent: Today is a working day, and all adults have to go to work, this is my duty. You also have your own business. You go to kindergarten, where you communicate with children of your age, play and, perhaps, learn something new about our world in class. (Providing information.)

Child: Uh-huh, but I don’t want to!

Parent: I understand you, sometimes I don’t want to go to work either, I would rather spend more time with you. After all, I love you very much. But my work is also important to me, and I will be sad if I completely abandon it. (Parent communicates his feelings and desires. )

Parent: Let’s agree that after kindergarten we will spend time together in the evening, play a game, and go to the skating rink on weekends. I also want to be with you as often as possible. (Briefly stated possible solution to the problem.)

Question: Child, 4 years old, refuses to go to kindergarten. What to do?

Answer: It is important to initiate a conversation about this with the child, listen to his experiences, find out what he feels and what he does not like, what the child really wants. Behind the reluctance to go to the garden often lies a lack of attention from the parent – or the reason may be in the conflict that occurs with other children. But this needs clarification.

Be patient, show your commitment. Active listening can be used to paraphrase and name the feelings a child is experiencing. Tell your child: “I understand that you are sad and you do not want to go to kindergarten.” The child will understand that you see his emotions, that you are not indifferent to them. After that, you can discuss the solution to the problem together. Tell them that you need to go to work and that the child cannot be left alone at home. Agree on how you will spend your time when the garden is over. Remind the child to have fun with other children. All this will help improve the mood of a preschooler before going to the garden.

Question: It is not allowed to bring toys from home to the kindergarten, but the child really wants to, because he has a favorite toy and he is very sad without it. What to do?

Answer: It is important to learn to experience situations of prohibition, because we cannot always get what we want in life. The most important and probably the most difficult thing is to listen to your child, treat his experiences with sympathy.

Shared feelings are much easier to experience. In addition, naming and voicing feelings is useful: this is how a child learns to cope with difficult situations and help himself.

“I know it’s unpleasant and you’re upset, you’re probably even angry that you have to leave your beloved bear at home” – this is how you can address a child, joining in his experiences.

Do not try to calm him down or tell him that there are still many cool toys in the kindergarten. Just sympathize and try to show that you understand the problem and his desire. So the child will understand what is happening to him, understand that he is being heard, and it will be easier for him to calm down and survive this.

You can also try to give out what you want in the form of a fantasy. “I wish I could be a sorceress and conjure you an invisible toy so you can take it to kindergarten.” Or translate everything into a game form: “Your bear will be waiting for you when you return home from kindergarten, but for now, in your absence, he will take care of his important business.”

Question: My daughter went to a private kindergarten for half a day. In the morning we say goodbye to each other well, the child calmly enters the group, in the afternoon I pick up my daughter, and we go home together, trying to talk. At the same time, I am very worried: what if my daughter feels bad in kindergarten? Suddenly she is scolded there or physical punishments are used? How to calm yourself? How to make sure that the child is not in danger?

Answer: First, you need to ask how the child feels and how she herself feels about going to kindergarten. Emotional alignment and high sensitivity of the parent to the state of the child is useful, but it is important here to share your feelings and the daughter’s feelings. If a girl does not complain, willingly goes to kindergarten and is calm about parting with her mother, then there is most likely no reason to worry.

Perhaps these are already your feelings as a parent, the reaction to the fact that the child is separated from you, gradually grows and becomes more independent. In this case, you need to take care of yourself, talk to a specialist about your anxiety, which is shifting to worries about your daughter.

In private institutions, child abuse or physical abuse is rather rare

In my experience in such institutions, such incidents have not occurred. People working there go through a phased selection process, often video surveillance cameras are installed in the gardens, so that there are certainly no questions. However, everything can be, only a friendly conversation with your child will help to find out.