After over a year of searching, we finally have a spot in a nursery school (die Krabbelstuben/die Kindertagesstätte or “die Kita”). The process was long and tedious (I will write a separate blog post about how we managed to get two offers within a week). At some point, I almost gave up looking for a spot and considered waiting until my daughter would start Kindergarden (which I have heard is yet another process but not as stressful as a search for a Kita). However, now that we finally have a spot at our dream multilingual nursery school, how do we prepare for this next step? What can we do as a family to set up a smooth transition for our daughter? Are there any fun activities we can do now while we have time flexibility before school begins?

Here is how we as a family are preparing for our daughter’s start at nursery school:

Connect with the Parent Community at the School

This is always a great way to learn more about a school or find a support group of parents. My go-to is always Facebook or Meetup groups where I search for keywords pertaining to my topic of interest. For example, I would start my search by looking up groups with the name of the school: “(Name of school) Parents Group” or “Families at (Name of School)”. You can also turn to your favorite expat online groups and post a question to connect with other families who have children also at the same school – then start your own online or Whatsapp group. Finding and building community with other expats going through a similar experience is what helps us stay connected and seek the support we need along this journey.

Get a List of School Supplies and Clothing

Every school is different and provides different resources and materials for the children. Typically, once you have signed the contract at a school, you will receive some sort of welcome package which includes handouts and checklists to help your family prepare for the start of nursery school. Like many other schools, our Kita shared a list of clothing and supplies my daughter should for school. This included things such as a rain jacket and boots, diapers, winter hat, extra change of clothing, and a photo to include in the birthday calendar. Every school is different so get familiar with what your child needs before Kita by asking the school administrators.

Coordinate the Adaptation Time (die Eingewöhnung)

During the first few weeks of nursery school, families go through a period considered as the adaptation period (die Eingewöhnung). From conversations with our school administrators and other parents, my understanding is that this period can last anywhere between 4-6 weeks until the child has really adapted to staying in nursery school on their own (without the parents). The adaptation period depends on every child and some can take longer than others until fully adapted. In our case, my husband and I continue to have conversations around how we want to coordinate our schedules to accommodate for this time. This is time that we will have to be away from work so it is important that we plan ahead in order to coordinate with our jobs.

Make One Big Trip to Visit Family Back Home

This is an important one for me. Since my daughter will have to go through a few weeks (maybe months?) of adaptation and getting used to her routine, we are planning not to travel too far during those first few months when school begins. We want to avoid interrupting her school routine and set up as a smooth transition for her so traveling will not be a priority for us the first few months. This means that, if we want to visit family back in the U.S., we should do so before school begins.

Starting Kita is a big step not only for my daughter but also for my family. For the past year, my husband and I have been home looking after our little one. While this time has been so precious and we understand what a privilege it is to live in a country that provides paid parental leave and have jobs that are flexible, we know this is the right time for our family to prepare for this transition. As an international family without our families close by to help on a daily basis, we look forward to the freedom that will come with this. Of course, once our daughter is acclimated to her new school routine.This means a lot for me, not just personally but also professionally as this means I now have time to embark on my next career ventures.

While this transition might not be easy and it will take time to fully complete the adaptation time, I am excited to watch my daughter connect more with other children, learn, grow, and become more independent. It is a transition that we are all looking forward to!

Any other fun ways that you and your family prepare for your child to start school?