Two year old daycare schedule: Best Sample Daycare Schedule for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Best Sample Daycare Schedule for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Creating a daily daycare schedule is no small feat. As a daycare owner or childcare director, your day-to-day can be hectic. Daily routines are the key to maintaining order. This goes for daycare staff, children, and even families.

In this guide, we’ll share the basics to help you create a daily schedule for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers that perfectly balances structure and flexibility.

The basics of a daily daycare schedule

Building a daycare schedule can be a challenge. You’ll need to factor in available resources, licensing requirements, developmental needs, and space constraints. While every childcare provider has different rules and program offerings, there are some general guidelines to follow when building a daycare schedule. Regardless of age group, your daily schedule must incorporate ways to meet all of your children’s developmental milestones while ensuring the safety and well-being of your children and your staff.

There are four key areas to consider as you craft a schedule that works for your center.

1. Licensing requirements

Adhere to your state’s daycare and childcare licensing regulations when creating a schedule for your center. These vary depending on your location and will provide you with a framework to start from. Are you required to provide 30 minutes of daily exercise for your three-year-olds? What are the rules regarding staff ratios for each age group at your daycare? Do you need to document health checks for your infants every morning? Are there regulations on cleaning tasks during the day? Do your due diligence to ensure that you build both the required and the recommended components into your daycare schedule template.

2. Developmental needs

Consider that 80% of brain development happens in the first three years of life. More than 1 million neural connections are formed every second during these years. Not to mention the rapid physical development that occurs during this stage of childhood. The good news is that there are easy-to-follow recommended guidelines for meeting the daily needs of each age group, whether it’s hours of exercise per day or types of play activities. As such, all daily daycare schedules should be built to support each age group’s developmental milestones and prepare each child for the next developmental stage and classroom. Your schedule will contain blocks of time dedicated to supporting physical, social, and cognitive growth through structured routines and activities. It will also consider the necessary physical needs of each age group, such as naps, feedings/meals, and diapering/potty training.

3. Facility logistics

Depending on your daycare facility and available resources, daily scheduling can become a puzzle to piece together. Different age groups may need to use your outdoor facilities at staggered times. If you have a multipurpose room for special events or guest activities, you’ll need to work this space’s availability into your daycare schedule template. If the toddlers and preschoolers share a wall between their rooms, you may want to schedule some quiet activities while the toddlers are having their nap. If you offer flexible options, such as part-time mornings or afternoon schedules, you may have programs that share a room, so you’ll need to build transition time into your daily schedule.

4. Staff logistics

Another building block of your daily daycare schedule will be staffing needs. Your childcare staff will need regular breaks throughout their day. Will you schedule a floating staff member to provide these breaks throughout the day? Or will these be built into each classroom’s daily schedule, depending on the activity block? Staff will also need time to perform all other duties that don’t involve direct supervision in their rooms, from prep time and cleaning to record-keeping and assessments. Another common practice is consolidating classrooms at the end of the day as children are picked up at different times. This helps to maintain ratios while keeping staffing costs down. Some daycare centers plan to pull a teacher in the afternoon as students leave to perform non-supervisory administrative or cleaning duties. For example, you may want to schedule outdoor time at the end of the day for toddlers and preschoolers so that the groups can be combined as needed depending on the ratios each day.

Source

Creating daily lesson plans will help you organize and stick to your daycare schedule. Download our free daily lesson plan template and customize to suit your teaching style and children’s needs. 

Infant schedule

The infant daycare schedule is typically designed to meet the needs of children between the ages of six weeks to 18 months (or when they begin walking). Building opportunities to engage with infants one-on-one will help encourage their progress on all developmental milestones.

To inform your schedule, you’ll need an understanding of benchmark behaviors and abilities in this age group.

Developmental milestones for four-month-olds

• Reaching for toys

• Holding up their heads unsupported

• Starting to roll over

• Recognizing faces

• Returning smiles

• Imitating facial expressions

• Babbling and imitating sounds

Developmental milestones for nine-month-olds

• Sitting without support

• Pulling themselves up to stand

• Starting to crawl

• Playing “peek-a-boo”

• Showing preferences for favorite toys

• Exhibiting the beginnings of separation anxiety

• Understanding “no”

• Copying sounds/gestures

Developmental milestones for infants one year to 18 months old

• Speaking a few words

• Repeating words/trying to say words

• Waving goodbye

• Working at standing/walking

• Banging objects together

• Drinking from a cup

• Crying when a parent leaves

• Responding to simple requests

Infant schedule guidelines 

Infants need as much interaction as possible as they are learning about the world around them. They also need plenty of exercise—even newborns! The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends several minutes of tummy time a day from when they come home from the hospital.

Daily schedules for infants should contain a lot of flexibility and variation since you’ll likely deal with a range of needs throughout the day. Infant programs typically have a higher staff-to-child ratio to handle all of the physical tasks that accompany caring for a group of infants. You may also face some stringent licensing guidelines around documentation of naps, feedings, or diapering, so these activities may need more thorough planning than is provided in our sample below.

Many centers opt not to post daily schedules for infants, given how varied the needs are and how rapidly they are changing. However, it is still best practice to have a guideline to work from to ensure they are getting the support and interaction they need to grow and learn.

Sample infant daycare schedule

Source

Toddler schedule

The toddler daycare schedule is generally designed to meet the needs of children from 18 months to three years old. This group is newly mobile and working hard to communicate verbally. Plenty of time to work on language and gross motor skills will be the basis of the daily schedule for toddlers as you help them progress on all of their developmental milestones.

Developmental milestones for two-year-olds

• Walking confidently

• Throwing a ball

• Holding a crayon

• Experimenting with defiance and independence

• Copying others

• Engaging in simple cooperative play

• Simple vocabulary of names, everyday objects, and body parts

• Speaking in two to four-word sentences

• Can follow simple instructions

Developmental milestones for three-year-olds

• Showing affection and concern for friends

• Taking turns in games

• Engaging in joint activities with a common goal

• Following multi-step instructions

• Starting to carry on conversations

• Can be understood by most adults

• Running

• Jumping

• Pedaling a tricycle

• Climbing stairs and playground structures

Toddler schedule guidelines  

Once your children are mobile toddlers, their daily schedule will change some, with the biggest difference most likely being the absence of the morning nap. Daily schedules for toddlers will contain ample outdoor/gross motor time to foster the important physical development happening at this age. The AAP recommends 60 minutes of active play per day for toddlers, with at least half of that being led by adults.

Toddlers need plenty of group play time to explore the beginnings of cooperative play. Your schedule should encourage interactions during activities or at play centers in the classroom. The younger ones will benefit from observing the older toddlers as they begin to play and interact with each other. Imitation is key as they start to build a real understanding of how to work with others around them.

Sample toddler daily schedule

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Daily preschool schedule

The preschool daily schedule will meet the needs of the oldest children at your center, typically three to five-year-olds. The shift for this age group will focus more on fine motor and language/cognition abilities and other kindergarten readiness skills. Building more structured activities with an increasing academic focus will encourage progress on this group’s developmental milestones.

Developmental milestones for four-year-olds

• Hopping 

• Catching and throwing a ball

• Walking backward

• Using scissors

• Copying shapes

• Dressing themselves

• Engaging in imaginative play

• Cooperating with others

• Having interests/likes/opinions

• Following some basic grammar rules (using he/she and over/under appropriately)

• Telling simple stories

• Singing songs such as Itsy Bitsy Spider and The Wheels on the Bus

• Writing capital letters

Developmental milestones for five-year-olds

• Skipping

• Doing somersaults

• Using the swings

• Drawing shapes and people

• Telling the difference between what’s real and make-believe

• Exhibiting more independence

• Wanting to please their friends and be like them

• Speaking very clearly

• Using future/past tense and more sophisticated grammar

• Telling stories with full sentences

• Writing letters and numbers

Preschooler schedule guidelines

This is the age that the afternoon nap is starting to drop off, so naptime can also turn into quiet reading time for those who aren’t able to fall asleep. The other big shift will be towards more cognitive and literacy skills in preparation for kindergarten. Your daily preschool schedule should include more table and task-centered activity blocks to ensure they leave your center fully equipped to handle the transition to school.

This age group still learns a lot through imaginative and fantasy play, as they build a stronger sense of self and cooperative relationships with each other. According to the AAP, they also need even more physical activity, up to two hours daily. This group will work on improving balance and coordination in both fine and gross motor activities.

Sample preschooler daily schedule

Final reflection

Whatever your variation on these schedules is, it’s important to post your daily schedule in the classroom and share with your families to keep everyone informed. Following your daycare schedule framework will ensure that each age group’s developmental needs are met, which will help build trust with your families. Follow your daycare routine as much as possible and allow flexibility as special events or opportunities arise.

Individualized Care Routines and Daily Schedules

Download the articleIndividualized Care Routines and Daily Schedules.

Article – Routines and Schedules

Consistent routines, activities that happen at about the same time and in about the same way each day, provide comfort and a sense of safety to young children. Whether it is time to play, time for a snack, a nap, or a loved one to return, knowing what will happen next gives babies and toddlers security and emotional stability.

—Zero To Three (2010, p. 2)

Care Routines

Caring for an infant or a toddler requires devoting significant time and attention to care routines. In group care settings, with multiple infants and toddlers, care routines are at the heart of every day. A technical assistance paper, Individualizing Care for Infants and Toddlers, from the Early Head Start National Resource Center (EHSNRC) states, “Caregiving routines—arrival and departure, feeding, meals and snacks, diapering and toileting, dressing, and napping—provide a framework for the infant/toddler day” (EHS NRC, 2014, p. 6). Routines are opportunities for the adult and the child to connect, interact, communicate, and accomplish tasks in cooperation with each other. “Routines offer opportunities to build relationships with each infant and toddler that promote attachment and trust” (EHS NRC, 2014, p. 6). Also, infants and toddlers are developing a sense of who they are—a sense of self. Through individualized care routines with a responsive, trusted adult, each child can learn that he or she is valued, included, and a part of the community. When infants and toddlers are included as active participants during routines such as meals and diapering, they learn about life skills, self-care, and cooperative relationships. According to Zero To Three, “Routines provide the two key ingredients necessary for learning: relationships and repetition” (Zero To Three, 2010, p. 1).

Many states require child care programs to have written daily schedules. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) encourages practices in which “the curriculum guides the development of a daily schedule that is predictable yet flexible and responsive to individual needs of the children” (NAEYC, 2015, p. 9). How do you develop a daily schedule for a group of infants and toddlers who are each on their own timetable? This is an important question because infants and toddlers have not yet developed the ability to manage their own feelings and behavior. For infant and toddler care teachers, creating a daily schedule that is based on responsive care routines makes good sense. Early learning researchers widely agree that adults can best support early learning when a child’s interests are central to the learning experience (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000).

Care routines for infants and toddlers, such as diapering, feeding, washing, and sleeping, take up a lot of time each day. “Rituals and routines work together to create secure environments that nurture relationships between infants and their caregivers” (Gillespie & Peterson, 2012, p. 77). Luckily, important learning and development takes place within these care routines. In fact, the daily schedule is part of the curriculum for infants and toddlers.

Resources

California Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework (2012) is a guide from the California Department of Education contains information on routines.

Individualizing Care for Infants and Toddlers–Part 1 (Technical Assistance Paper No. 1) (2014) by the Early Head Start National Resource Center provides examples and information about individualizing care routines and coordinating routines between home and the child care program on pp. 6–7.

Let’s Talk About Routines (2017) is the third installment in the Office of Head Start’s Caring Connections podcast series from the Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center. This podcast explores the value of predictable routines. It explains how routines can help build young children’s trust and security. There is an accompanying Information Sheet with related resources.

News You Can Use—Transitions (November 2011) by the Early Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center describes how you can support the variety of transitions children and adults experience. This resource includes information about individualizing transitions and tips for when transitions are challenging.

Resources for Parents

Creating Routines for Love and Learning (2010) by Zero To Three shares how daily routines between home and program support self-control, safety, social skills, transitions, parental happiness, and learning.

Rituals and Routines: Supporting Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families This brief from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) explains the importance of including rituals in helping children accept a routine that may be stressful, like separation from parents.

Daily Schedules

As you incorporate the unique care routines and rhythms of each infant and toddler in your care, you can begin to create individualized daily schedules, which is an important basis of high-quality caregiving (Raikes & Edwards, 2009). Keep in mind, to respond to changing individual needs of infants, it’s important to allow room for flexibility during the day. Anything too rigid will create undue stress for babies and tension for the teachers who try to adhere to a set plan. For example, very young infants, who are on their own sleep schedules, may sleep through outside time and be ready to play and engage while the older infants nap. This does not mean there is no order or system; you are still making sure that all the daily care routines are happening. However, if one infant needs to eat or sleep sooner than others, you can adapt. Maybe a 2-year-old with a new baby brother at home needs a little more cuddle time than he did last week. Or an infant needs breathing treatments at certain times in the day and you have adjusted the schedule to read books to him and other toddlers during his therapy.

These kinds of changes often come naturally to caregivers. When you realize that every routine, interaction, and experience is an opportunity for new discoveries, it is a good reminder that a daily schedule needs to be flexible and organized around the individual children in the group. In their article, “Rituals and Routines: Supporting Infants and Toddlers and Their Families,” Linda Gillespie and Sandra Peterson state that “individualizing a routine means that the sequence is the same but the actions and timing may vary to accommodate the needs of individual children” (Gillespie & Peterson, 2012, p. 76). As toddlers mature, they begin to have more control over their bodies and emotions, and they gradually become more able to successfully participate with others in community meals, choose to join small-group experiences, and settle down to nap or rest at the same time as other children.

Tips for Creating Developmentally Appropriate Daily Schedules

The following are characteristics of a schedule for infants and toddlers that supports responsive, individualized care. These ideas can help you create a daily schedule that is responsive and sensitive to each infant and toddler in your setting.

Provide Consistency

Predictable daily routines support young children in knowing what to expect and what is expected of them, leading to fewer disruptive behaviors. Daily routines should flow in a consistent way that allow infants to focus on their play and learning. Opportunities to explore and practice skill-building allow children to build confidence in their abilities (Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 1998).

Include Experiences That Meet Individual Needs

This is particularly important for infants and toddlers who are not yet able to regulate their own needs and bodies to accommodate a group schedule. Regular caregiving routines such as diapering, sleeping, and feeding should happen when each child needs them, rather than going by the clock or a strict schedule (EHS NRC, 2014; Harms et al., 1998; NAEYC, 2015).

Provide Opportunities and Interactions to Foster Physical, Social, and Emotional Growth

You can support development in all areas during everyday interactions and activities. Consider an infant’s diaper change. During this routine care you can support her social and emotional development by giving one-on-one attention that includes eye contact, smiling, talking about what is happening in the moment, and pointing out things that are familiar to the child (for example, “Oh! I see you’re wearing your Bear diaper this morning. You like it when your mama gets the Bear diapers for you, don’t you?”). In this simple exchange, the teacher is not only supporting the child’s social and emotional development but language and cognitive development as well (EHS NRC, 2014; Harms et al., 1998; NAEYC, 2015).

Allow Long Amounts of Time for Free Play

Children learn through play (Fromberg & Gullo, 1992; Ginsburg, 2007; Meltzoff, Kuhl, Movellan, & Sejnowski, 2009; Piaget, 1962). Self-directed play gives children opportunities to practice what they have observed and learned about their world, test new ideas, and build skills in all areas of development. When children come together to play, it should be driven by their desire to be together, even if it means being near each other and doing separate things. Teacher-initiated, whole-group experiences such as song time, dancing, or reading books can work well for older toddlers if they can choose whether or not to participate. Group gatherings should be limited in time, flexible, and account for the individual interests of all children. For example, in a family child care home with several toddlers, many of them like to be near the teacher while she sings. One child goes to the book corner when this happens and she peeks over the shelves at the group. The child’s mother has said that, at home, her little girl sings all of the songs, but in child care, she does not actually join the group until several months later, when she is ready (Harms et al., 1998; NAEYC, 2015).

Provide Time and Support for Transitions

A well-designed schedule for infants and toddlers includes thoughtful transitions that support children as they move from one area of focus to another. Transition times are important and give many learning opportunities, just like every other part of the child’s day (Harms et al. , 1998; NAEYC, 2015).

Common transition times during a child’s day in care include:

• Pick-up and drop-off times;
• Meal times;
• Diaper changes and toileting;
• Nap times;
• Movement from indoors to outdoors; and
• Joining or leaving group experiences (for older toddlers only).

Resources to Support Transitions

“Movin’ On: Supportive Transitions for Infants and Toddlers” (May 2010) from NAEYC’s Young Children, Vol. 65, No. 3, by Emily J. Adams and Rebecca Parlakian, offers practices to support children and families during transitions.

Supporting Transitions: Using Child Development as a Guide (n.d.) shows how transitions may affect a child’s development within various domains. This guide was co-developed by the National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement and the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning.

Transition Strategies: Continuity and Change in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers (n. d.) describes the many considerations involved in transitioning a family into and out of care. It was developed by the Early Head Start National Resource Center, Head Start Bureau (now the Office of Head Start), Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Sample Schedules

On the following pages are two examples of written daily schedules for infants and toddlers, which are designed to be flexible and responsive to individual children. One includes times, and the other is organized by sections of the day. They both highlight the importance of less structure and more open time during the day for exploration and play. This open flow of the day allows caregivers to meet individual needs as they arise; interactions and experiences happen in the natural course of the day.

Sample A: Infant and Toddler Schedule (Without Times)

Care routines such as diapering, toileting, naps, and mealtimes will be based on individual needs. Older toddlers are invited to have meals together.

Parents: Please let us know how your child is doing, and if you have any concerns, questions, or comments. We are listening!

• Early day
  • Diapering, naps, and mealtime as needed
  • Greetings and check-ins: We ask about how each child slept, ate, his or her mood, and any other details.
  • Exploration of materials/objects; sensory table or tray discovery
  • Reading and exploring books
  • Movement and free exploration and interaction
  • Outdoor stroller walk or play in yard

• Midday
  • Diapering, naps, and mealtime as needed
  • Quiet music, reading, and low lights
  • Exploring materials, objects, and books
  • Movement and free exploration and interactions
  • Outdoor play, including push toys, climbing equipment, and soft spaces on blankets or sand

• Late day
  • Diapering, naps, and mealtime as needed
  • Reading and exploring books
  • Exploring materials, loose parts, and objects
  • Movement and free exploration and interaction
  • Outdoor play
  • Goodbyes: We share observations of the child’s day as well as details about meals, naps, diapering, and toileting.

Sample B: Infant Daily Schedule (With Times)

Mealtimes, diapering, and sleeping will be based on individual needs. We will adjust the schedule throughout the day to respond to your child’s interests and needs, as well as to the weather conditions.

• 7:00–8:30: Arrival and greeting.
  • Welcome families and learn about how the children are doing.

• 8:30–9:30: Outside time. Possibilities include the following:
  • Exploring and following interests, such as touching leaves and talking about trees, clouds, and birds;
  • Snuggling, talking, and reading books together in the fresh air;
  • Listening and singing to rhythms; and
  • Rolling, climbing, and crawling.

• 9:30–11:30: Floor-time play. Toys and objects available to explore.
  • Touching and feeling books and textures;
  • Talking, cuddling, and rocking;
  • Listening and singing to rhythms; and
  • Rolling, climbing, and crawling.

• 11:30–12:30: Sensory exploration.
  • Materials with different textures, sounds, and colors.

• 12:30–2:30: Floor-time play. Toys and objects available to explore.
  • Exploring and following interests, such as soft dolls, shakers, and stacking toys;
  • Touching and feeling books and textures;
  • Talking, cuddling, and rocking;
  • Listening and singing to rhythms; and
  • Rolling, climbing, and crawling.

• 2:30–3:30: Outside time. Possibilities include the following:
  • Exploring and following interests, such as touching leaves and talking about trees, clouds, and birds;
  • Snuggling, talking, and reading books together in the fresh air;
  • Listening and singing to rhythms; and
  • Rolling, climbing, and crawling.

• 3:30–5:30: Floor-time play and departure.
  • Review the day with parents, share observations, and provide information as needed.

References

Early Head Start National Resource Center. (2014). Individualizing care for infants and toddlers: Part 1 [Technical assistance paper no. 16]. Retrieved from http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/ehsnrc/docs/ehs-ta-16.pdf

Fromberg, D. P., & Gullo, D. F. (1992). Perspectives on children. In L. R. Williams & D. P. Fromberg (Eds.),Encyclopedia of early childhood education (pp. 191–194). New York, NY: Garland Publishing.

Gillespie, L., & Peterson, S. (2012). Rituals and routines: Supporting infants and toddlers and their families. Young Children, 67(4), 76–77.

Ginsburg, K. R. (2007). The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics, 119(1), 182–191. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-2697

Harms, T., Clifford, R. , & Cryer, D. (1998). Early childhood environment rating scale (Rev. ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Meltzoff, A. N., Kuhl, P. K., Movellan, J., & Sejnowski, T. J. (2009). Foundations for a new science of learning. Science, 325(5938), 284–288. doi:10.1126/science.1175626

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2015). NAEYC early childhood program standards and accreditation criteria and guidance for assessment. Standard 2: Curriculum. Washington, DC: Author.

Piaget, J. (1962). Play, dreams, and imitation in childhood. New York, NY: W.W. Norton.

Raikes, H., & Edwards, C. (2009). Extending the dance in infant and toddler caregiving. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company.

Shonkoff, J. P., & Phillips, D.A. (Eds.) (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. A report of the National Research Council. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Zero To Three. (Feb, 2010). Creating routines for love and learning. Retrieved from https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/223-creating-routines-for-love-and-learning

Adaptation of a child to kindergarten – Children’s City Hospital No. 15

Children of any age are very difficult to start attending kindergarten. Each of them goes through a period of adaptation to kindergarten. The whole life of a child changes dramatically. Changes literally burst into the usual, established life in the family: a clear daily routine, the absence of relatives and friends, the constant presence of peers, the need to obey and obey unfamiliar adults, the amount of personal attention sharply decreases.

The child needs time to adjust to this new life in kindergarten.

Adaptation is the adaptation or adaptation of the body to a new environment. For a child, a kindergarten is undoubtedly still an unknown space, with a new environment and relationships. This process requires a lot of mental energy and often takes place with tension, and even overstrain of the mental and physical forces of the body.

Many features of a child’s behavior during the period of adaptation to kindergarten frighten parents so much that they wonder: will the child be able to adapt at all, will this “horror” ever end? We can say with confidence: those behavioral features that are very disturbing to parents are basically typical for all children who are in the process of adapting to kindergarten. During this period, almost all mothers think that it is their child who is “non-Sadovsky”, and the rest of the kids, allegedly, behave and feel better. But it’s not. Adaptation is usually difficult with a lot of negative changes in the child’s body. These shifts occur at all levels, in all systems. In a new environment, the baby is constantly in strong neuropsychic stress, stress that does not stop for a minute, especially in the first days. Here are the common changes that occur in a child during the period of adaptation to kindergarten.

I. Portrait of a child who entered kindergarten.

1. Child’s emotions.

In the first days of being in the kindergarten, almost every child has strong negative emotions: from whimpering, “crying for company” to constant paroxysmal crying. Particularly striking are the manifestations of fear (the baby is afraid of an unknown situation and meeting with unfamiliar children, he is afraid of new educators, and most importantly, that you will forget about him when you leave the garden for work. The baby is afraid that you have betrayed him, that you will not come for him in the evening to take home). Against the background of stress, the child flashes anger that breaks out (the child breaks out without letting himself be undressed, or even beats an adult who is about to leave him). During the period of adaptation, he is so vulnerable that everything serves as a reason for aggression . It often happens the other way around, when one can observe depressive reactions and “inhibition” of children, as if there were no emotions at all.

In the first days the child experiences few positive emotions. He is very upset by the separation from his mother and the familiar environment. If the baby smiles, then basically it is a reaction to novelty or to a bright stimulus (an unusual toy “animated” by an adult, a fun game). Be patient! Negative emotions will definitely be replaced by positive ones, indicating the end of the adaptation period. Some children will cry for a long time at parting, and this does not mean that adaptation is going badly. If the child calms down for some time after the mother leaves, then everything is in order.

2. Contacts with peers and teacher.

During the first days, the child’s social activity decreases. Even sociable, optimistic children become tense, withdrawn, restless, uncommunicative. It must be remembered that kids 2-3 years old do not play together, but next to each other. They have not yet developed a story game that would include several children. Therefore, do not be upset if your child does not yet interact with other babies.

The fact that the adaptation is going well can be judged by the fact that the baby is more and more willing to interact with the teacher in the group, respond to his requests, follow the routine moments.

3. Cognitive activity.

At first, cognitive activity is reduced or even completely absent against the background of stress reactions. Sometimes the child is not even interested in toys. Doesn’t dare to play. Many children need to sit on the sidelines in order to orient themselves in their surroundings. In the process of successful adaptation, the baby gradually begins to master the space of the group, his “forays” to toys will become more frequent and bold, the child will begin to ask questions of a cognitive plan to the teacher.

4. Skills.

Under the influence of new external influences in the first period of adaptation to kindergarten, the child may “lose” self-care skills for a short time (the ability to use a spoon, handkerchief, potty, etc.).

The success of adaptation is determined by the fact that the child not only “remembers” the forgotten, but you, with surprise and joy, note the new achievements that he learned in the garden.

5. Features of speech.

Some children have a reduced vocabulary or easier words and sentences. Don’t worry! Speech will be restored and enriched when adaptation is complete.

6. Motor activity.

Some children become “retarded” and some become uncontrollably active. It depends on the temperament of the child. The activities at home are also changing. A good sign of successful adaptation is the restoration of normal activity at home, and then in the kindergarten.

7. Sleep.

If you leave your child in the garden for daytime sleep, then get ready that in the first days he will fall asleep badly. Sometimes children jump up, or, having fallen asleep, soon wake up crying. At home, restless daytime and nighttime sleep can also be noted. By the time the adaptation is completed, sleep both at home and in the garden will certainly return to normal.

8. Appetite.

At first, the child has a reduced appetite. This is due to unusual food (both the look 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. Let the baby eat not everything that is on the plate, but he begins to eat.

9. Health.

Stress leads to the fact that the child becomes weaker, the body’s resistance to infections decreases, and he can get sick in the first month (or even earlier) of visiting the kindergarten. It often happens that the cause of constant colds and chronic acute respiratory infections is not at all medical, but psychological. One of the well-known mechanisms of psychological defense is called the flight into the disease. Do not think that the child catches a cold on purpose, dreaming of staying at home. He experiences this desire implicitly, unconsciously, without being aware of it. And the body obeys this hidden tendency: it begins to demonstrate an amazing weakness, easily falls under any negative influence, refuses to resist a cold. Any measures to harden and strengthen the body, of course, are justified and expedient. But no less important are parental efforts to restore the spiritual harmony of the child. Often, having achieved emotional balance, it is possible to overcome the tendency to disease.

Of course, many mothers expect that the negative aspects of the behavior and reaction of the baby will go away in the very first days. And they get frustrated or even angry when they don’t. Usually adaptation takes 3-4 weeks, but it happens that it stretches for 3-4 months.

II. Why is he behaving like this? Or what causes stress?

1. To a large extent, stress provokes separation from the mother. Of course, the baby is inextricably linked with you and the mother is the main thing that he had, or rather, is and will be. And suddenly, his beloved and most beautiful mother in the world left him to the mercy of fate among a terrible new environment and previously unfamiliar children who do not care about him.

2. In order to survive in this new environment, he needs to behave differently here than at home. But he does not know this new form of behavior and suffers from it, being afraid to do something wrong. And fear supports stress, and a vicious circle is formed, which nevertheless, unlike all other circles, has an exact beginning – separation from the mother.

3. Boys aged 3-5 are usually more vulnerable to kindergarten adaptation than girls, because during this period they are more attached to their mother and react more painfully to separation from her.

4. The crisis of three years, which can accumulate on the period of adaptation of the child, sometimes complicates its passage.

III. Who is easy and who is difficult.

Some children adapt to the garden relatively easily, and their negative moments go away within 1-3 weeks. Others are somewhat more difficult, and adaptation then lasts about 2 months, after which their anxiety is significantly reduced. If the child has not adapted after 3 months, such adaptation is considered difficult and requires the help of a specialist psychologist.

Who adapts easier?

· Children whose parents prepared them to visit the garden in advance, a few months before this event . This preparation could consist in the fact that the parents read fairy tales about visiting the kindergarten, played “kindergarten” with toys, walked near the kindergarten or on its territory, telling the baby that he was going to go there. If the parents used the opportunity and introduced the child to the caregivers in advance, then the baby will be much easier (especially if he did not just see this “aunt” for several minutes, but was able to talk to her and go to the group while the mother was nearby).

· Children, physically healthy, i.e. having neither chronic diseases nor a predisposition to frequent colds. During the adaptation period, all the forces of the body are tense, and when you can direct them to get used to the new, without spending more on fighting the disease, this is a good “start”.

· Children with independent skills . This is dressing (at least in a small amount), “potty” etiquette, independent eating. If a child knows how to do all this, he does not waste energy on urgently learning this, but uses the already established skills.

· For children whose schedule is close to gardening. A month before visiting the kindergarten, parents should begin to bring the child’s regimen to the one that awaits him in the garden. Check in advance the schedule of the day in the garden. In order to get up easily in the morning, you need to go to bed no later than 20:30.

It is difficult for children who do not meet one or more conditions (the more, the more difficult it will be). It is especially difficult for kids who perceive going to the garden as a surprise due to the fact that their parents did not talk about it. There are situations when a visit to the kindergarten begins unexpectedly for objective reasons. And, oddly enough, it is often difficult for those children whose mothers (or other relatives) work in the garden.

IV. How can parents help?

Every parent, seeing how difficult it is for a child, wants to help him adapt faster. And that is great. The set of measures is to create a caring environment at home, sparing the baby’s nervous system, which is already working at full capacity.

· In the presence of the child, always speak positively about the teachers and the kindergarten. Even if you didn’t like something. If the child has to go to this kindergarten and this group, it will be easier for him to do it, respecting the teachers. Talk about it not only with the crumbs. Tell someone in his presence what a good kindergarten the baby now goes to and what wonderful teachers work there.

· Do not change your child’s routine on weekends. You can let him sleep a little longer, but you shouldn’t let him “sleep off” for too long, which significantly shifts the daily routine. If the child needs to “sleep off”, then your sleep schedule is organized incorrectly, and perhaps the baby goes to bed too late in the evening.

· Do not overload your baby during the adjustment period. He has so many changes in his life now, and he does not need any extra tension of the nervous system.

· Try to ensure that the baby’s home is surrounded by a calm and conflict-free atmosphere. Hug your baby more often, stroke his head, say kind words. Celebrate his progress, improvement in behavior. Praise more than scold. He needs your support right now!

· Be patient with whims . They arise due to overload of the nervous system. Hug the child, help him calm down and switch to another activity (game).

Having previously agreed with the teacher, give a small soft toy to the garden. Toddlers of this age may need a toy – a mother’s substitute. By hugging something soft, which is a part of the house, the child will be much calmer.

· Call on a fairy tale or a game to help you . Come up with your own story about how the little bear first went to the kindergarten, and how he was uncomfortable and a little scared at first, and how then he made friends with the children and teachers. “Play” this fairy tale with toys. Both in the fairy tale and in the game, the key moment is the return of the mother for the child, so in no case do not interrupt the story until this moment comes. Actually, all this is started so that the baby understands; Mom will definitely come back for him.

V. Calm morning.

Parent and child are most upset when they part. How should you organize the morning so that the day goes smoothly for both mom and baby? The main rule is this: calm mother – calm baby . He “reads” your insecurities and gets even more upset.

Both at home and in the garden, speak calmly and confidently with your baby . Be kindly persistent in waking up, getting dressed, and undressing in the garden. Speak to your child in a low, but firm voice, voicing everything you do. Sometimes a good helper when waking up and getting ready is the same toy that the child takes with him to kindergarten. Seeing that the bunny “so wants to go to the garden”, the baby will be infected with his confidence and good mood.

· Let the parent or relative with whom it is easier for him to part with take the child away. Educators have long noticed that the child parted with one of the parents relatively calmly, while the other does not let go of himself, continuing to worry after his departure.

· Be sure to say that you will come and indicate when (after a walk, or after dinner, or after he sleeps and eats). It is easier for a baby to know that mom will come after some event than to wait for her every minute. Don’t delay, keep your promises!

· Create your own farewell ritual (eg kiss, wave, say goodbye). After that, immediately leave: confidently and without turning around. The longer you stagnate in indecision, the more the baby worries.

VI. Typical mistakes of parents

Unfortunately, sometimes parents make serious mistakes that make it difficult for a child to adapt to kindergarten. Do’s and Don’ts :

You can not punish or get angry at the baby for crying at parting or at home when mentioning the need to go to the garden! Remember, he has the right to such a reaction. A stern reminder that “he promised not to cry” is also completely ineffective. Children of this age still do not know how to “keep their word.” It’s better to say again that you love him very much and will definitely come for him.

· It is worth avoiding talking about the baby’s tears with other members of the family in his presence. It seems that the son or daughter is still very young and does not understand adult conversations. But children at a subtle spiritual level feel their mother’s concern, and this further increases children’s anxiety.

· Kindergarten must not be scared (“If you misbehave, you’ll go to kindergarten again!”). A place that is feared will never be loved or safe.

· One should not speak ill of teachers and kindergarten in front of a child . This makes the baby think that the garden is not a good place and that bad people surround it. Then the anxiety will not go away at all.

· Do not deceive a child by saying that you will come very soon if the baby, for example, has to stay in the kindergarten for half a day or even a full day. Let him know better that his mother will not come soon, than he will wait for her all day and may lose confidence in the closest person.

Parents need help too!

When it comes to adapting a child to kindergarten, they often talk about how difficult it is for a child and how much help he needs. But “behind the scenes” almost always remain parents who are in no less stress and worries! They also desperately need help and almost never receive it.

Often mothers and fathers do not understand what is happening to them and try to ignore their emotions. But you shouldn’t do it. You are entitled to all your feelings, and in this case, they are natural. Admission to the kindergarten is the moment of separation of the child from the parents, and this is a test for everyone. Mom and dad also have a “break” heart when they see how the baby is going through, and in fact at first he can cry only at the mere mention that tomorrow he will have to go to the garden.

To help yourself, you need:

to be sure that visiting the garden is really necessary for the family . For example, when a mother simply needs to work in order to contribute (sometimes the only one) to the family income. Sometimes mothers send the child to the kindergarten before they go to work to help him adapt, picking him up early if necessary. The less doubts about the advisability of visiting the garden, the more confidence that the child will sooner or later cope. And the baby, reacting precisely to this confident position, adapts much faster.

to believe that the baby is not really a “weak” creature at all . The child’s adaptive system is strong enough to withstand this test, even if tears flow like a river. Paradoxically, but true: it’s good that the baby is crying! Believe me, he has real grief, because he is parting with the dearest person – with his mother! He does not yet know that you will definitely come, the regime has not yet been established. But you know what is happening and you are sure that you will take the baby from the garden. It is worse when the child is so squeezed in the grip of stress that he cannot cry. Crying is an assistant to the nervous system, it does not allow it to be overloaded. Therefore, do not be afraid of children’s crying, do not be angry with the child for “whining”. Of course, children’s tears make you worry, but you will definitely cope too.

· take help . There is a psychologist in the kindergarten. This specialist offers help not only (and not so much!) to the child, but to his parents, talking about how the adaptation is going on and assuring that people who are attentive to children really work in the garden. Sometimes parents really need to know that the child quickly calms down after her departure, and such information is given by a psychologist who watches the children in the process of adaptation, and educators.

enlist support . Around you are parents experiencing the same feelings during this period. Support each other, find out what “know-how” each of you has in helping a baby. Celebrate and celebrate the successes of your children and yourself together.

Author Nikolaeva E.I.

http://nsportal.ru

Exclusion of autism in children at an early age

July 30, 2018

Voronin Nikolai

Neuropsychologist, Ph.D.

Autism is manifested by the lack of ability to interact with the outside world, communication disorders.

Most often, childhood autism manifests itself at 2.5-3 years. It is during this period that speech disorders and isolation in children are more pronounced.

However, the first signs of autistic behavior are often seen at an early age, before 1 year of age. It can be difficult for parents to independently distinguish the signs of autism, so it is no coincidence that children at the age of one year are recommended to consult a psychiatrist.

Do not be afraid to consult a psychiatrist! When parents of adolescents with behavioral problems come to us, we most often reveal that in childhood they could have had a developmental distortion of the autistic type, and with timely treatment, difficulties could have been avoided.

What should parents pay attention to? Symptoms of autism in children.

1. Violations of social contacts and interaction with others

• The child practically does not ask to be held, it is more comfortable for him to lie in the crib.

• The child does not assume a physiological position when breastfeeding.

• The child is inactive, not as lively as peers.

• The child does not respond to new toys, sounds, can stare at one point for a long time.

• The child does not respond to his name (usually the first thing parents go to is an audiologist to check their hearing; if everything is fine with hearing, a psychiatrist should be consulted).

• When adults or other children try to make contact with the child, he either removes his hands or moves to the side, or reacts aggressively, may throw something, cry.

• The child throws the toy instead of handing it to avoid contact.

• As the child grows older, he can go deeper into his inner world; he does not know how and does not want to communicate with family members, rarely seeks help, starts trying to serve himself early, does not use the word “give”, it is easier for him to take it himself or achieve his scandal.

• Often children do not respond to discomfort, such as a full diaper; don’t cry or draw attention to themselves.

• There is no eye contact, the child does not fix his gaze on objects, toys.

2. Limited interests and features of the game

• The child chooses one toy and plays only with it for a long time. Can choose as a toy something that is not intended for the game – ropes, rags.

• The stereotypical nature of the game: placing toys in the same order, playing with a certain number of toys, and if one is lost, a scandal can occur.

• Another example – a girl can not play with dolls, like the rest – not to change clothes, not to put her to bed, but simply carry her with her, maximum – iron her.

• Games that require fantasy and imagination rarely captivate autistic children.

• Children often prefer quieter games (eg puzzles, building blocks).

3. Tendency to repeat actions, the so-called stereotypy

• Rocking the whole body from foot to foot, stereotypical head turn, stereotypical shoulder clamping.

• Stereotypes observed in speech are called echolalia. It can be manipulations with sounds, words, phrases. At the same time, children constantly repeat words, cliches, cliché phrases that they heard from adults or on TV without realizing their meaning.

• Stereotypical games – turning on / off the light, pouring water from glass to glass, pouring sand, cereals. It is difficult for a child to switch from this activity.

• The child gets acquainted with the outside world not through interaction with others, but independently. He can lick, sniff objects.

• Clothes: the child chooses certain things and wears only them, the sequence of dressing and undressing may be important for him.

• Eating behavior: the child is selective in food, chooses only a certain range of products. In the most severe cases, this may be a complete refusal to eat. In mild cases – rituals: eats food in a certain order, at certain hours. He chooses dishes not by taste, but by shape, by color. Often, for example, a child only eats a certain shape of pasta.

4. Intellectual disorders

The main feature of the disease is selective intelligence. Autistic people may excel in math, art, and music, but lag far behind in other subjects. Savantism is a phenomenon where an autistic person is very pronouncedly gifted in one specific area. Some autistic people are able to play a tune accurately after hearing it only once, or to calculate the most complex examples in their minds.

5. Violation of the instinct of self-preservation

• Autoaggression occurs in 1/3 of children with autism. Aggression is one of the main forms of response to what is happening, and since children are not inclined to communicate with others, they show this aggression towards themselves (they can beat themselves, bite, bang their heads against the crib).

• Very often these children lack a “sense of edge”. This can be observed even in early childhood, when the child hangs from the side of the crib, tries to get out of the stroller – the child has no fear.

• Can run away from parents without looking back. If parents specifically hide in order to test the reaction, this reaction is often not.

• Can climb a slide on a playground that is too old for him.

• What is especially dangerous, children can run out onto the roadway, climb onto the windowsill with the window open.

6. ADHD

More often than other children, autistic children have hyperactive behavior. They are disinhibited and disorganized. Such children are in constant motion, they can hardly stay in one place, they do not respond to requests during classes, there are difficulties in controlling movements (“like on hinges”).

7. Verbal communication disorders

• Speech disorders occur in all forms of autism. Speech may develop with a delay or not develop at all. Also, at the initial stages of development, speech may appear earlier than among peers, but at 1.5-2 years there is a regression – the child stops talking to others, but at the same time can fully speak to himself.

• A peculiar intonation with a predominance of high tones at the end of a sentence, or the so-called “bird speech” or its own language, when the child talks to himself “under his breath.”

• Often children do not talk to others, but speech is present in the game. The reason is the unwillingness to interact with the outside world.

With delayed speech development, you can contact a speech pathologist. If a defectologist suspects autistic disorders, he refers to a psychiatrist. The main thing is to contact a specialist, and not be alone with this problem and not wait for everything to normalize by the age of three. It is better to immediately exclude the disease.

What to pay attention to in kindergarten? (symptoms of early autism in children after 1 year)

• Aggression towards others, especially when the child’s personal space is violated.

• The child plays away from the others.

• Children and caregivers complain about the child because he cannot interact with others, his play is destructive, he can interfere with other children’s play.

• Compulsive behavior – the intentional performance of actions according to certain rules, even if they go against the generally accepted ones.

Modern methods of diagnosing autism in children

1. Psychiatric consultation . This is a conversation with parents and observation of the child in free play. The doctor watches how the baby behaves, how it interacts with parents, whether it looks into the eyes, whether it puts objects in its hands, whether it throws it on the floor. If the child speaks, pay attention to speech, intonation, construction of phrases. The doctor carefully collects the history of the life and development of the child, the history of the mother’s pregnancy. It is important when he began to utter the first sounds, when he stood up, crawled, began to walk, what was his gait.

2. Speech therapist consultation to rule out autistic speech. The doctor determines whether speech delay is related to autism or other disorders. Children with autism have a peculiar development of sound pronunciation, and an experienced speech therapist will immediately distinguish it.

3. Consultation with a neuropsychologist to identify which developmental milestones the child may have missed.

4. Screening with tests (Autism Diagnosis Scales) :

• D. Wexler intelligence test

Tests (cards, tasks for children) aimed at assessing general awareness, stock of knowledge and ideas about the world around them, the ability to assimilate and process information, and cognitive abilities.

• Kaufman intelligence test

Tests to determine the strengths and weaknesses of information processing processes: visual and auditory memory, assimilation of instructions, planning a sequence of actions.

• Raven Progressive Matrices

Allows you to determine the level of intellectual development of the child. Each series of tables contains tasks of increasing difficulty. Raven’s progressive matrices are designed to determine the level of mental development in primary school children with any level of speech development.

Questionnaires for parents :

• Sensorimotor Development Scales (ages 0-5)

To be filled in during the conversation with parents and observation of the child. They allow you to evaluate various aspects of motor and psychological development in accordance with age standards.

• Vanderbilt ADHD symptom questionnaire

Allows you to assess the severity of symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity in various areas of the child’s life.

• CARS Autism Rating Scale

One of the most commonly used tests for autism symptoms. The scale includes 15 categories.

Tests by defectologist and psychologist :

• ADOS

The “gold standard” for diagnosing autism. Allows in a playful way to determine deviations in the communication skills of the child. The child is offered “communicative provocations” in which an ordinary child behaves in a “normal” way, a child with autism behaves differently. After the observation, a calculation is made of which behavior was more common or “autistic”. According to the results of the calculation, a diagnosis is established.

• ADI-r

A detailed survey that provides all the information necessary to establish a diagnosis of autism and assess related mental disorders.

• PEP scale

Identification of the child’s individual characteristics, characteristics of his communication capabilities, cognitive activity, emotional and volitional sphere, working capacity, etc.