Starting Childcare

At Montessori Academy, we want to set your child up for a successful transition to childcare. This means ensuring that your child has all the comforts of home to feel safe and secure at their new home away from home. We ask that families pack the below items to ensure children have a sense of familiarity in their new setting.

Toddlers and Preschoolers Aged 2-6

• Water bottle labelled with your child’s full name
• Sun-safe hat labelled with your child’s full name
• Two sets of spare clothes labelled with your child’s full name
• Healthy lunch in a labelled lunchbox if your childcare centre is non-catered
• Backpack labelled with your child’s full name
• Cot-sized bed sheets and a blanket stored in a calico bag labelled with your child full name (supplied weekly)
• 3-4 nappies per day, wipes, and nappy rash cream (you can supply these on a weekly basis)
• Comforter if your child needs one

Infants Aged 0-2

• Water bottle labelled with your child’s full name
• Backpack labelled with your child’s full name
• Sun-safe hat labelled with your child’s full name
• A spare set of clothes labelled with your child’s full name
• Bed sheets and blanket labelled with your child’s full name
• Re-usable fabric bag (to store your child’s sheets) labelled with your child’s full name
• A healthy lunch in a labelled lunchbox if you’re attending a non-catered centre
• Bottles and formula or expressed breastmilk labelled with your child’s name (if your child needs)
• 3-4 nappies per day, wipes, and nappy rash cream (you can supply these on a weekly basis)
• Comforter or dummy if your child needs one

For new families, you will also need to supply four passport sized photographs of your child, a copy of your child’s birth certificate, and current immunisation records. It’s a good idea to make sure that your child’s bag is packed the day before school starts to prevent any unnecessary stress. As Murphy’s Law states, “Anything that can go wrong, will - at the worst possible moment.”

 We recommend that families contact their Centre Manager to discuss their arrival time for the first day. Where possible, your Centre Manager or child’s Room Leader will want to greet you and help support you in settling your child into their new environment. Once your child is settled into their new routine, we do recommend that all children arrive before 8:30am to ensure they make the most of the Montessori Work Cycle.

 Upon arrival, you will be greeted warmly by your Centre Manager or your child’s Room Leader. They will show you how to sign in, where your child’s locker is, where to put their belongings, and where the bathrooms and ammenities are located. Next, they will introduce your child to their classmates, and welcome them to the classroom.

Once your child has been introduced, we recommend that families say a quick goodbye at the door, and leave the classroom. It’s best not to linger as this can cause confusion and prolong separation anxiety.

Families are welcome to stay on the premises for a short period of time (out of sight) as their child settles in. Please talk to your Centre Manager if you need any support with settling your child or if you have any questions or concerns. We want all families and children to feel welcomed and supported so that they make a smooth transition to their Montessori early learning community.

 Saying goodbye on the first day can be an anxious time for children and parents. We recommend that you say goodbye at the door with a kiss, cuddle, and a smile on your face as you walk out the door. Remind your child that they will have a great day and that you will be back later to pick them up. It’s important your child knows that you feel comfortable and positive about their new environment. We recommend that families don’t linger, and that if you choose to stay a while, that you remain out of sight as this can be confusing and prolong separation anxiety. It can also cause other children to become unsettled which disrupts the peace and harmony of the Montessori classroom. Please talk to your Centre Manager if you need any support. We want all families and children to feel welcomed and supported so that they make a smooth transition to their Montessori early learning community.

It’s very normal for children (and parents) to have feelings of anxiety when they first start childcare. It takes children time to get used to their new routine, build positive relationships with their educators and peers, and come to understand that their new environment is a fun, safe, and happy place. Supporting children with separation anxiety can be challenging; however, just remember that this stage will soon pass, and that most children are quite settled within a few minutes of their families leaving. If you are ever concerned, you are always welcome to call the centre to check in on your child, or book a meeting with the Centre Manager to discuss additional support for settling your child.

Tips to Ease Separation Anxiety

• Bring your child on the initial centre tour so they develop a sense of familiarity
• Talk positively about the exciting things they will experience, play with, and learn at Montessori Academy
• Involve your child in choosing, organising, and labelling the items they will take with them to childcare
• Talk about their new routine and what to expect in the lead up to starting childcare
• Attend the orientation session with your child to help them settle into their new environment
• Talk about the emotions they may experience and how they can help manage their feelings
• Read stories about starting school
• Establish a quick goodbye ritual where you leave smiling, calm, and confident to build your child’s confidence and sense of security in their new environment
• Be consistent with drop off and pick up times so your child becomes familiar with their new routines and knows what to expect when
• Practice being apart by leaving your child with a trusted adult or family member for a few hours
• Tell them when you will pick them up in child-specific terms i.e. “I’ll pick you up after rest time before afternoon snack”
• Take a look at our blog for additional resources

 Families are welcome to call the centre to check in on their child at any time throughout the day. Our team will always provide you with open and honest feedback about how your child is settling in. If your child is unsettled, rest assured that an educator will contact you, and advise you if you need to pick them up. Families also receive regular photo updates via our family communication app. These updates show what activities your child is engaging in as well as their eating, sleeping, and toileting schedule.

Families are provided with login details to our family communication app on their child’s first day. The app is regularly updated with photos and information about the activities your child is engaging in, their daily routine for eating, sleeping and toileting, and general updates about the centre. The family communication app is also home to all of Montessori Academy’s policies, useful parent resources, and developmental reports specific to your child.

We recommend that families pick up a little earlier during their child’s first week to help ease them into their new routine. Earlier pick up isn’t compulsory; however, many families have provided feedback that this was helpful for them. For example, you may have your child attend from 8 am – 1 pm on their first day, then 8 am – 2 pm on their second day, and an hour longer each day. A gradual transition allows children to progressively increase the amount of time they spend at childcare each day in preparation for their new routine.

Starting childcare can be a challenging time for families. It’s very common to feel anxious and uncertain at the beginning of your childcare journey. First and foremost, we want you to know that you are always welcome to share your feelings and experience with us, and that we are here to support you in any way we can. We are deeply honoured that you have entrusted us with the education and care of your child. We want to create a home away from home for your child and to provide you with a supportive community for you and your family.

If you need anything, please contact your Centre Manager, or our Family Care Team on 1300 000 162.