The first week.

Every child at Sunbird is assigned a primary educator before their first day. That person runs both orientation visits, takes your routine, and is who we go to first if something is off. The plan below is the ordinary shape of a settling fortnight. It bends around your child rather than the other way round, so treat the days as a guide, not a schedule you have failed if you miss.

Before day one: the two orientation visits

The first visit is short, usually an hour, and you stay in the room. Your primary educator watches how your child plays, asks about sleep and food in more detail than the enrolment form allows, and writes it down. The second visit is longer and you leave for part of it, often for the first time. We will tell you honestly how it went when you collect your child, including if it did not go smoothly.

Days one to three: short and predictable

First days are short on purpose, often a morning rather than a full day. Drop off is quick: a hand over to your primary educator, a short goodbye, and then you go. Long goodbyes make separation harder, not easier, so we will move things along kindly if you linger. If your child is distressed after you leave, we message you within twenty minutes with what actually happened, not a general reassurance. Some children settle inside the first hour. Plenty do not, and that is still inside the ordinary range.

Days four to seven: the pattern starts to show

This is usually when a pattern appears rather than a resolution. A child who cried at drop off on day one might cry at drop off every day and be fine within ten minutes once you are out of sight, which is common and not a sign of anything going wrong. Others take longer at the other end of the day, unsettled before pick up as tiredness catches up. Your primary educator writes a short settling note each day of the first week so you can see the pattern rather than guess at it from a single hard morning.

Week two: the review

We sit down with you around the two week mark to look at the notes together and decide whether the plan needs adjusting: a different drop off time, a comfort item brought from home, a change to the nap routine, or simply more time. For a small number of children settling takes longer than a fortnight, and we would rather extend the plan honestly than call it finished because the calendar says so.

What actually helps

• A comfort item from home, labelled, kept with your child including at sleep
• A short, consistent goodbye rather than a drawn out one
• Telling your primary educator what worked at a previous centre or at home, even if it seems minor
• Expecting the pattern to take a fortnight to show, not a morning

If it is not going well

Ring your primary educator or Renae directly rather than wait for the two week review. Settling plans are adjusted constantly and quietly; asking early is normal, not a complaint. Call (07) 5550 0150 and ask for the room your child is in.

Read the settling in service page for the inclusions and the process in full, or book a tour to meet the room before you enrol.