Month: April 2025

Preschool children are the most vulnerable to changes in the environment, and war is a challenge that affects not only adults but also the youngest ones. They may not fully understand what is happening, but they can feel their parents’ emotional state, react to the new reality, and need special support. How to help kids adapt to stressful conditions and maintain psychological balance?

Types of games and creative activities that can help children adapt to stressful conditions

For a child, play is a way to learn about the world and experience emotions. In times of crisis, it becomes not just entertainment, but a way of adaptation and emotional relief.

One of the best methods of support is role-playing games, where a child can invent his or her own world and control events. For example, the game “doctor and patient” or “fireman saves the city” helps to restore a sense of security and faith in goodness.

Creativity is also a powerful tool to combat stress. Drawing, sculpting, and appliqués help children express their emotions without words. If a child draws dark or aggressive pictures, you should support them and give them the opportunity to express their fears and then draw something light together that is associated with safety.

Moving games and physical activity can help relieve tension. Dancing, playing catch, tug-of-war, or simply jumping on a trampoline all contribute to the production of endorphins, which reduce stress levels.

Reading fairy tales with a positive ending can also calm your child down. Especially useful will be stories in which characters overcome difficulties and find a way out of difficult situations.

The impact of war on the physiological and psychological development of preschool children

War changes children’s sense of stability, disrupts their usual rhythm of life and provokes anxiety. Kids can become more tearful, irritable or, on the contrary, withdrawn. The loss of a sense of security is often manifested in behavioral changes: sleep disturbances, refusal to eat, returning to habits that have already disappeared (for example, thumb sucking or unwillingness to sleep without their mother).

Physiologically, prolonged stress can cause headaches, digestive problems, and a weakened immune system. Children who are under constant stress may get sick more often or complain of abdominal or heart pain for no apparent reason.

To reduce the negative impact, it is important to restore at least some stability for the child – the usual daily schedule, bedtime rituals, favorite games. You should not hide the truth, but you need to present it in an accessible form, explaining that what is important now is safety and that the child is not alone in this situation.

Communication with other children helps to maintain psychological balance

A child is a social being, and it is important for him or her to feel part of a group. Communication with other kids helps to distract them, restore a sense of normalcy, and simply feel the joy of play.

Even if the family has been forced to move and the child has lost their friends, it is important to help them find new ones. You can attend group classes, hobby groups, sports clubs, or just walk on playgrounds where the child can interact with peers.

Joint family games are also useful — board games, construction sets, acting out stories. This not only brings the family closer together but also gives the child the feeling that he or she is not alone, that together they can overcome any difficulties.

Thus, during the war, children, like adults, experience enormous stress. However, the right support, stability in the little things, and the opportunity to express their emotions through play and creativity will help them adapt. It is important for parents to be there for their children, to talk to them, to give them the opportunity to communicate with friends and to bring joy back into their lives.

If you are looking for a space where your child will receive care, attention and support in a difficult time, My Horizons is ready to help. We invite you to learn more about our programs and get acquainted with our facility.

Choosing the first kindergarten for a baby is an important decision for every family, often accompanied by dozens of questions, doubts and emotions. We want to be sure that our child will not only be taught something new there, but will also be hugged if he or she is sad, encouraged if he or she shows interest, and supported if something goes wrong. It is the first years that shape a child’s attitude towards himself, others, and learning. And a lot depends on the environment that surrounds them.

What is really important when choosing a kindergarten?

Modern parents no longer choose a kindergarten based on the principle of “being closer to home”. They are much more interested in who will be there for their child, how they will talk to them, whether they will feel safe and accepted. Care, respect, and development are three things that come up in almost every conversation when it comes to the first steps in education.

A professional team is the first criterion that people pay attention to. Parents are looking for not just a teacher, but someone who can understand and support their child in moments of joy and difficulty, help them adapt, and teach them to coexist with others. Space is also important — not only physical space (bright rooms, safe playgrounds), but also emotional space: is the child accepted as he or she is? Will they not be forced to “be comfortable”?

Trust between a family and an institution does not happen overnight. It is born out of small things: openness to dialog, sincere answers to questions, respect for the wishes of parents. When a mother knows that her baby is not just looked after here, but understood, her heart calms down.

And perhaps the most important thing is the emotional comfort of the child. Because even the best methods and beautiful furniture will not matter if the baby cries every morning and does not want to go to kindergarten. Where a child feels good, they flourish. And this is exactly the kind of space attentive parents are looking for.

A kindergarten that is trusted with heart and mind

In the kindergarten My Horizons in Khmelnytskyi, child care is not a slogan, but a daily practice. We do not have random people, improvisations on the go, or a template approach. Everything is thought out to the smallest detail, tested by experience and created with love. And that is why more and more parents choose our kindergarten for their children.

Advantages that distinguish My Horizons in Khmelnytskyi:

1. A professional team of teachers. The kindergarten employs certified teachers, assistants, a practical psychologist, a speech therapist and an English teacher. Each of them undergoes ongoing professional development and works according to the author’s programs, which are adapted to the needs of children of different ages.
2. Methods that meet the age and emotional characteristics of children. The educational process is based on the principles of humane pedagogy, the development of emotional intelligence, and modern approaches to learning: project activities, fairy tale therapy, sensory, learning through play and interaction.
3. A space designed for comfort. The kindergarten is located in a new building, with major repairs, its own courtyard, playgrounds, and thematic areas for development.
4. Flexible subscription system. Several formats of stay are available for parents: full day, half day, or individual hours — depending on the needs of the family. There are discounts for large families and an adaptation program for newcomers.
5. Delicious and healthy meals. The facility has its own kitchen, where fresh food is prepared daily in accordance with sanitary standards and taking into account age-related needs.
6. Daily walks and outdoor activities. Children spend at least an hour in the yard twice a day.
7. Development of creative and social skills. The program includes modeling, drawing, music, choreography, and thematic classes on emotional development. Children learn to interact, listen to each other, and express their thoughts and feelings.

Parents who have already chosen My Horizons note that their children come here with joy, and at home they share not only the poems they have learned, but also their emotions. And this is the best confirmation of the quality of our preschool education.

We invite you to take a tour of the My Horizons kindergarten to see for yourself how children live and grow here. You will be able to communicate with the team, look into the groups, walk around the territory, etc. Leave a request and we will be happy to meet you in person.

The first day of kindergarten is an important event not only for the child but also for the whole family. The first day is usually positive, as the new play environment and peers interest the child, but later on, the child may experience stress and anxiety. To make the adaptation go smoothly, you should prepare your child for the changes in advance. How to do it right? Let’s look at the key points.

Do I need to prepare my child for kindergarten?

Yes, and here’s why. Kindergarten is the first serious experience of socialization for a child. Even if the child is sociable and quickly gets used to changes, kindergarten is a new environment, a new regimen and rhythm of the day, and unfamiliar people. If the child is not ready for such changes, it can cause anxiety, whims and even protest against going to kindergarten. Proper preparation will help to avoid stress, tears and a long period of adaptation.

Preparation will help to:

• reduce stress from separation from parents;
• accustom the child to a new daily routine;
• teach independence skills;
• form a positive attitude towards kindergarten.

At what age should I start preparing?

The optimal age for starting adaptation depends on the child’s characteristics. Some children are ready for kindergarten at the age of one and a half, while others need more time to adapt. However, psychologists recommend starting preparation at least 3-6 months before the first visit.

If the child already has experience of socializing with peers (for example, attending developmental circles or playing on the playground with other children), the process will be easier. But if he is used to spending all his time at home with his parents, you should gradually introduce him to the new environment.

What skills should a child have before entering kindergarten?

One of the most important things is independence in everyday life. A child should be at least partially able to eat with a spoon, drink from a cup, and put on basic clothes on his or her own, such as pulling on socks or putting on a hat. In addition, he or she needs to learn to communicate his or her needs to adults: when thirsty, to go to the toilet, or when something is wrong.

Emotional readiness is no less important. It is important for a child to know that mom and dad will always come back for him after kindergarten. It is useful to teach him/her how to cope with disappointments, for example, when he/she does not get the desired toy or when he/she has to share. If the child easily tolerates short-term separation from parents, the first days in kindergarten will be calmer.

To help your child master these skills, it is best to turn learning into play. For example, you can play “independent bear” and learn to dress up together or read books about kindergarten to form a positive image of it. The main thing is the support and calmness of parents. If they are sure that everything will be fine, the child will feel it and get used to the new environment faster.

We invite you to study at “My Horizons” kindergarten

Preparing for kindergarten is a process that requires patience, gradualness and the right approach. Your confidence and positive attitude will help your child adapt faster and easier. Talk about the kindergarten as an interesting place where new friends, exciting games and friendly teachers are waiting for him/her.

At My Horizons, we understand how important this period is, and we help children to enter a new environment in a gentle and comfortable way. Our teachers take care of each of the children, take into account their individual needs and create an atmosphere of love and trust. Thanks to the warm and friendly environment, the child gets used to the new schedule and daily routine faster and feels safe and confident.