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You need this at the day care

These are things you should leave at the day care (remember to label everything!):
  • Rain gear and boots
  • Snow suit (utedress)
  • Wool underwear
  • Warm socks
  • Slippers or indoor shoes
  • Fleece or wool wear
  • Extra outfits
  • Good shoes
  • Mittens, hat and scarf 
  • Diapers - most nurseries prefer regular diapers over cloth diapers
  • Maybe some diaper rash cream/ointment, sunscreen and cold cream.
  • Teddy bear, pacifier or a comfort blanket ("koseklut") for the transition

Read more here.

How to dress your child

For the one year-olds winter can be an ordeal. With large, thick snow suits it is not easy to move, and if you add boots and mittens, it doesn´t get any easier. Here´s some advice on making the outdoors a positive experience for your child:
  • Choose soft rain gear and clothing that is easy to move in.
  • The snow suit should be one piece, so that rain and snow can´t get in. 
  • Remember wool underneath, it quickly becomes cold when sitting on the ground.
  • Light gore tex shoes are often better than boots when the weather permits. It can be very difficult to walk wearing boots.
  • Do not buy clothes that are too big.
  • Choose long mittens that can be pushed up under the sleeves of the snow suit or jacket. Make sure they are not too large. Thin woolen mittens underneath the rain or wind mittens makes it easier for the child to grasp things than with regular mittens.
  • Use several layers as it's easier to take off some clothes if your child gets too hot.
Source: Klikk.no

About the equipment

Label the clothes. All clothing and equipment must be labeled with the child's name. Tags are available in countless varieties online. A highlighter for clothes can also be used. See Navnelapper.no, nordicprint.no, and more, for labels online.

Have extra outfits in your child's "locker". You should have a small selection of bodysuits, t-shirts, tights, underwear, socks, extra trousers and sweaters.

A so-called "parkdress" is wise to have in the early fall and spring season. It is thin and protects clothes below. One can also wear some wool underneath on colder days.

A snow suit is a thicker suit that kids can use when it gets colder.

The snow suit should have:
  • A foot strap
  • A detachable hood attached with buttons, which will fall off if your child gets caught in something.

The snow suit should not have:
  • Too many strings, because of safety.
  • Too tight of an elastic in the waist, as this can make it difficult to move.
  • Too tight knit wrist which makes it difficult to get the mitts through.

Shoes for indoor use
Open, sturdy sandals that are comfortable. Non-slip soles are recommended.

Waterproof shoes
Gore tex shoes are good for outdoor use. If it rains cats and dogs, though, boots are better. 

A lunchbox labeled with the child's name. In most nurseries, children are served lunch, while they have to bring breakfast and the afternoon meal. Not all nurseries have their own fruit arrangement, so it is recommended to pack some fruit and vegetables every day. 

Source: Klikk.no

Equipment for walks

A good comfortable backpack. The day cares often go for walks somewhere and the older children bring their stuff in their own backpacks. They should therefore have a good, ergonomic backpack with straps that wrap around the waist. 

Drinking bottle that preserves the temperature of the drink, warm or cold. 

A thermos with a screw cork is the best. The child might need help opening it, but experience show that these bottles are stronger and last longer. Steel thermoses are recommended as they´re unbreakable. 

A foldable seating pad that fits in the backpack is useful. The ones that are attached on the exterior of the backpack can make the child get stuck in branches, etc. 

Sources: Økern barnehage, Huginsvei barnehage and barnehage.no

Advice for a good start

12 pieces of advice for a successful kindergarten start:
  • Read the welcome letter carefully. Tell your child the names of those who work in the nursery, and look at photos if provided. Write down the things you wonder about and ask them at the nursery one of the first few days.
  • Allow enough time for adaptation. Three days will be enough for most, but every child has individual needs.
  • "Good bye!" is important. Do not try to avoid upsetting farewell scenes by sneaking out when your child is busy with something else. It will only create more insecurity. Let the good bye be short and clear and show your child that you are confident in leaving.
  • Expect tears. And know that no one thinks you're a bad mother/father, even if you leave a screaming child in the kindergarten. Call, ask and make sure that your child is doing well.
  • Ensure proper equipment. Make sure your child has everything he/she needs from clothing to equipment in the nursery. Let the nicest clothes be left at home - convenience is the key word here.
  • Be available. Tell the staff how flexible you are at work. Then they know that they can call you should something happen. 
  • For comfort. Bring a "transitional object" - a pacifier, a blanket, teddy bear or similar. Maybe also photos of your family, your house or your pet.
  • Expect to get sick. New environment and a bunch of children also means new germs and viruses for toddlers - which again means increased risk that the adults in the family become infected.
  • Children also have important tasks! Make sure your child gets to participate in the activities in the nursery even though that means that you don´t get to sleep in that day.
  • Long days = extra food in the bag. Bring a glass of dinner or porridge if you know that the day will be longer than normal.
  • Inform about allergies and medications. Should your child need medication during the day, they should be stored in the kindergarten.
  • Be respectful to the staff and to the other children and parents.
Source: Line C. K. Nilssen / mamma.no. Read more here: http://www.klikk.no/produkthjemmesider/gladebarn/article779428.ece

Is your child only one year old?

It has recently been hotly debated whether or not one year is too early to start kindergarten. Many experts, including the Norwegian expert and author Gro Nylander, believe that children are not done with the attachment phase before they are two years old and that the separation anxiety is at it most intense between 12 and 18 months. In addition, they´re not able to talk or explain themselves and are therefore more vulnerable. Research also suggests that the youngest has a greater stress levels in the first months of kindergarten than those who stay at home.

Here´s some advice from Gro Nylander:

1) Postpone the start date, if you can. A few extra months makes a big difference at that age. 

2) Use three weeks instead of three days for the adaptation phase! It's a good way to spend the end of the parental leave. After three weeks the child knows the staff and the other children, he/she knows the routines and games and it will feel far less threatening and painful to be abandoned. Maybe you will even pick up some tips from the staff on how to handle eating, sleeping and "terrible twos" challenges?

3) Limit the time that your child spends at the day care at the beginning: Many parents are good at it, one comes in with the child late, the other pick up the child early. Grandparents and other family members can also help out here.

4) Be there fully for the child from you pick her/him up. Turn off the phone until the child is in bed in the evening. Use a stroller facing you so that you can communicate on the way home. You don´t have to play and be "on" all the time, but be available, loving and attentive the few hours you have together.

Read more here (in Norwegian).

Not all researchers agree that one year is too early, stating that as long as you have an individualized adaptation period for each child, most children will be able to get the confidence they need to take advantage of what the kindergarten has to offer. Read more here.

Many of us feel like we have no choice, due to the date for the distribution of the day care spots or due to the need for two incomes. What can make it easier for the one-year old at day care is if he / she has only one employee - a primary contact - for the first weeks. Here's some advice (in Norwegian) for how the one year-old can thrive in kindergarten.

    Comments? Tips?