Keeping things Consistent

In a time where there is a lot of instability and unknowns within in our communities, it is more important than ever to protect our children’s sense of security and belonging.
One of the ways that this can be achieved is by keeping things consistent, but what does this really mean and what are the benefits of this for your child?

Regular ECE Attendance
If your child is attending an early learning centre then one of the best ways to ensure consistency is to attend regularly and on regular days each week. This can give your child the opportunity to create strong friendships with other children who attend on the same days and for their play to pick up where they left off without too much time passing.

Regular attendance at the same early learning centre for their early childhood years also enables you and your child to develop a sense of belonging through building strong relationships with the teachers and other children.

Consistent routines
Establishing a consistent yet adaptable daily routine can boost your child's confidence, as it allows them to anticipate what happens next throughout the day.

As adults we know how disconcerting it can feel when things change on us often and we don’t know what will happen next. Creating a wee rhythm that happens every morning is a way of increasing consistency for your child, it brings in a flow where your child knows exactly what can be expected to happen next.

Links between home and early learning
Belonging is defined in our early childhood Te Whāriki as children knowing ‘they belong and have a sense of connection to others and the environment’.
One of the ways we can strengthen this sense of belonging is through consistency between home and the early learning centre.
When children experience similar care routines, boundaries and expectations across both environments, it helps them to feel safe, secure and confident in what is happening around them.

This is especially important for our younger tamariki and during times of transition, where consistency can make a big difference to how settled and supported they feel.

Te Whāriki highlights the importance of frequent communication to ensure consistent, thoughtful responses to children’s changing needs, behaviours and wellbeing.This includes sharing information about things like routines, interests, health and what is happening in a child’s world.

Letting the kaiako know what your child is interested in at home, what they like doing and who the special people are in their lives can help create a sense of continuity for your child, where their home life and centre life feel connected rather than separate.

Kaiako also love it when whānau comment on the stories that they have written. This is another lovely way to keep that communication flowing and to support a consistent, shared understanding of your child’s learning and development.

The Evolve Promise
At Evolve, we believe that children who have effective social and emotional skills experience positive benefits in childhood and are more likely to experience positive life outcomes and higher levels of wellbeing in adulthood.

We promise to nurture your child’s confidence and success as a learner so that they know the centre they attend is a place where they belong and where they feel valued for who they are.