Kindergarten Should Be Stress-Free - Brief Article

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), August, 2000

Sensitive parents are a key to success for youngsters entering kindergarten, according to Mary McMullen, an Indiana University, Bloomington, education professor who specializes in early childhood education. "The beginning of the kindergarten school year, especially if it is in a setting new to the child, can be a difficult one for both these young children and their parents. In particular, parents need to think carefully about what they are asking of their children as they plan their school and child care arrangements for the upcoming year."

McMullen points out that most of these youngsters are forced to deal with multiple transitions throughout the day, which can be stressful for five- and six-year-olds. Many go from some type of early morning child care to kindergarten; then to special art, music, or physical education classes; then after-school child care; and then home. A number of them are then shuttled off to sports events or other extracurricular activities. Some even have the added stress of multiple living arrangements because of divorced parents.

This can result in too many sets of expectations. "Research shows that sensitively responsive adults, who know, understand, and respond appropriately to a child, as well as consistency of care, are very important in terms of overall health and well-being. Parents need to ask themselves, `With so many adults interacting with my child on a given day, do they really have a chance to get to know my child as an individual? Do they respond in a sensitive and caring way to my child?'"

To keep stress levels down for the whole family and facilitate healthy growth and development of the children, McMullen advises parents to do what they can to ease the number of transitions and minimize the complications and "busyness" that kids are asked to face in their daily lives. Moreover, kindergartners need plenty of free choice time to explore and play. "Children learn best when they engage in nonstressful interactive play with peers and utilize all of these senses with stimulating materials." They need guidance from teachers and parents who can direct their development without "undue frustrations that may result in a pattern of failure and self-doubt."