We understand that some of our parents/children have moved to Denmark recently and that the process of living in a different culture can be complicated and sometimes stressful for your family. The process by which a child is brought up varies from one country to another and from one culture to another. If you are new to the country, we recognize that some things might seem quite different to you, so we would like simply to welcome you and your family and to encourage an atmosphere of open communication when it comes to your child’s development.

 

Communication is something we value in the Danish daycare system and the processes by which we build a relationship with the children we take care of and their parents will make your child feel secure and happy.

 

 

 

The first two weeks at the daycare may be confusing and somewhat stressful for your child. It is important for us to instil a sense of trust for us in your child. The easiest way to facilitate the development of this trust is to create routines that your child will become accustomed to. We have developed a rough guideline as to how we would like this to happen – of course each pattern should be developed with the collaboration of both the parent and the daycare workers. We expect at least one week for this process to take place and no more than two week and we advice the parents to be available a couple of hours a day each day for the process. Remember it is important to remain informative at all times and to tell us details about your child’s routines, illnesses, allergies, your child’s mood, sleep pattern etc… and any other detail that might affect your child’s behaviour

It is normal that your child cries when you leave, especially in the beginning. It usually stops very shortly after you have said goodbye and have left. One piece of advice when you leave your child with us for the day - try to leave with a smile to show the child that this is a good place to be. Try to make the departure as quick as possible. If you stall or seem insecure, the child will be confused – will you leave or stay? If you hesitate your child will likely cry more in an effort to make you stay a while longer. If you do however still worry after leaving a sad child, feel free to call us any time to ask how your child is doing.

The following list is a guideline. We will be aware of the specific child’s (and family’s) individual needs.

 

 

First week

Day 1	Both parents are welcome the first day. The new child + parent(s) show up at about 9.45 am and stay at the child’s room for about 45 minutes. We will make sure this is a quiet and safe first day for your child and we hope to get to know your child a little better.	Timeframe: 45 minutes
Day 2	Same as day 1.	Timeframe: 45 minutes
Day 3	The child arrives with parent(s) at 9.45 am who stay in the company of the child until 10 am. The parents will now leave the presence of the child for 15-20 minutes (i.e. go for a walk). The child will stay in the room to play with another child or the daycare worker. After the 15-20 minutes have passed the parent(s) will leave with the child.	Timeframe: 30-40 minutes
Day 4	The child arrives with the parent(s) at 9 am and joins the morning snack with the other children. When the other children go to the playground, the child will once again experience the quite time in the room while the parents leave for a short while	Timeframe: 1+ hour
Day 5	As day 4. We might try to have the child nap if everything goes well. When the child wakes up we call the parent(s) and we require that the child is picked up immediately. We offer the child something to eat while we wait	Timeframe: 45­+ minutes

Day 1	Day 1 after the weekend is a short and easy day. Both the child and the parent(s) show up at the daycare for a short while
Day 2	Today we continue where we left in the first week
Day 3-5	Now we start to increase the hours. It is very normal that you as parents experience the child crying when you leave. Remember to ask the childcare workers about this if you are confused or feeling unsafe in this situation – it is ok. We can offer to call you when the child stops crying, so you know all is fine

 

The daycare Æblehaven is open from Monday-Friday 7am-5pm. Talk to the staff at the daycare about when to drop your child off and when to pick your child up again. At specific hours the staff might recommend that your child should be in the daycare. This is to maintain a routine for your child, and to limit disruptions for the other children. Under certain circumstances (for instance, if the child is only six months in age), we might recommend a routine that is specific for that particular child’s needs. We are however flexible with your needs and wishes.

 

We cannot stress enough how important it is for your child that there is open communication between you, the parent and your child’s primary daycare worker. For instance, if your child has had a rough night with very little sleep, it is important for the daycare workers to know such a detail so as to take care of your child’s needs. Another important matter where information is of uttermost importance: if your child is sick we need to know. We require that you call and tell us, both so we know all is fine with you and your child, also to be able to be aware of symptoms in the other children.