Suddenly he starts to say "goodbye!” young children’s relationships during the transition from homecare to ECEC institution

This chapter focuses on young children’s transition from home to early childhood education and care institutions (ECEC) and their relationships with peers in the initial period. We aim to provide more knowledge about how to support the care and sustainability of very young children reaching into their zone of proximal development (Vygotsky 1998) in the transition from home to nursery in a Danish ECEC setting. The title of the chapter refers to a mother commenting on, how her 1.5-year son - to her great surprise - has learned a phrase from an English-speaking boy in a Danish nursery. The chapter is based on a field study in 4 nurseries and 4 daycare centers in Denmark in 2021-2023. The data consists mainly of participant observation of 20 one-year-old children in the initial period of the transition, i.e. 1st, 5th, and 12th week during arrival, breakfast/lunch, and free time activities. Observation data are enriched by interviews (with parents, health care providers, pedagogues, and daycare staff) and reflections and ideas from a workshop with parents’ and professionals’ perspectives on” the good transition”.

Keywords transition, nursery, peer group, positions, parents