The research work presented in this thesis deals with starting preschool. The theoretical part defines attachment and its development and presents the correlation between the type of child-parent attachment and preschool enrolment. The thesis also touches upon the attachment of children to their preschool teachers and introduces the entire process of starting kindergarten – from enrolling to the first days of kindergarten. Particular attention is given to the role of parents and preschool teachers in the process. The last chapter deals with distress felt by children, parents and preschool teachers during the transition to preschool.
The theoretical part was built upon by the empirical part. The main purpose of the thesis was to compare the views of two mothers and two preschool teachers on how to introduce a child to kindergarten. Through the comparison of reflections and opinions of interview participants, I searched for points in common and also differences of opinion. The subject of this research was the process of starting preschool, distress in children that occurs during this process, distress that appears in parents whose children are starting preschool and distress in preschool teachers during this phase.
The overall conclusion of this research paper, based on the interviews with preschool teachers and mothers, is that the views on the entire process of starting preschool are similar. All the participants agree on the importance of preparing a child for kindergarten. The child develops trust towards preschool and teachers through gradual introduction. Interview participants also agree on the relevance of preparation upon entering preschool and find the methods of introducing a particular child to kindergarten as appropriate. They all emphasised that the transition to kindergarten has been successful.
Children's distress has been observed and addressed by preschool teachers as well as parents. Interview participants list the same types of distress and adaptive problems of children as those described in the literature by various authors: crying, illness, feeling unwell, clinging to parents, etc. The causes of distress in children may result from children's individual characteristics, the level of the parent-child attachment and the parents' attitude to kindergarten. All the participants are aware of the important connection between parents' and children's distress.
Research showed that starting preschool also causes distress in parents. All research participants found that understandable and acceptable. Distress in parents, brought upon by their child's transition to kindergarten, stems from their individual characteristics, a strong mother-child bond and from their distrust of expert workers. Both preschool teachers acknowledged the mothers' distress and responded accordingly.
Distress typically found in preschool teachers was highlighted by the two interviewed teachers, both naming tiredness as the main problem. They also listed some of the other causes of distress. The mothers have not noticed signs of distress in those teachers. However, they have recognised the possibility of distress in preschool teachers during the time of starting preschool.
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