Advice to parents from the Ministry of Education before the start of kindergarten

Torbjørn Røe IsaksenMinister of Education and Research Torbjørn Røe Isaksen ( Conservative Party ).Photo: Audun Braastad / NTB scanpix

Minister of Education, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen, knows how hard it is to walk away from a crying one-year-old on his or her first day at the kindergarten. Now he gives advice to other parents before kindergarten starts.

– The first advice is not to worry so much. Remember that things turn out well for most of the children at the kindegarten, and that for all of them it will be one of the most pleasant places to be, he says to the news agency NTB.
Thousands of families are preparing these days to entrust their children to adults who are usually unfamiliar and unknown to them.

– Just remember that this is a bit tough for all kindergarten parents in the beginning, the minister, who speaks from personal experience, says.

– Tough
– I thought it was tough to leave my daughter there for the first few days. Especially because she was crying and just wanted to be with me or my wife. Closing the door behind her and walking away, was quite difficult,  Isaksen says.

But now Karla has turned two and the book about her time so far in kindergarten shows that she has had a wonderful time there, according to the minister.
The Knowledge Minister encourages parents with children who are to start in kindergarten soon,  to talk with other parents who have had their children in kindergarten.
– It helps a bit to know that there are other people who have gone through  what you are going to go through, he said.

With the help of experts of the Ministry and the Directorate of Education, he has made a list of advices to get your child’s time at the kindergarten off to a good  start  . Here are some of the pieces of advice:

* Please visit the kindergarten and the outdoor areas in advance.
* Prove that you are positive.
* Talk about the kindergarten and use the names of those who work there.
* Do not be afraid to ask about things you wonder about.

– Not Unique
And there is nothing wrong with telling the staff about your particular child and what he or she needs in order to have a good time.
– My experience is that those who work in kindergartens are interested in finding out how these young individuals are, he says, and points out that the employees have received new children many times before and have the knowledge and experience to handle this.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today