Having a child in a German Kita or school means a new kind of German: short conversations at the door at half past seven, notices pinned to the wall, and letters that come home in the school bag. None of it is in a beginner's course, and all of it needs an answer.
This page follows a parent's year: getting a place, the daily drop-off, the morning your child wakes up with a fever, and the talk with the teacher.
Kita Words Every Parent Needs
daycare centre
die Kita
nursery for under-threes
die Krippe
kindergarten
der Kindergarten
childminder
die Tagesmutter
after-school care
der Hort
daycare place
der Kitaplatz
registration
die Anmeldung
waiting list
die Warteliste
settling-in period
die Eingewöhnung
nursery teacher
der Erzieher
group
die Gruppe
childcare hours
die Betreuungszeiten
parents' fee
der Elternbeitrag
Practice these words
die Kita
Kita, Krippe or Kindergarten? Krippe is for children under three, Kindergarten for ages three to six, and Kita, short for Kindertagesstätte, covers both. Most staff are women, so you'll mostly say die Erzieherin.
Getting a place: every child has a legal right to a place from their first birthday, but in many cities places are short. Register early, often through the town's online portal, and expect a Warteliste. Fees range from nothing in some states and cities to several hundred euros a month.
Eingewöhnung: the first weeks are a gentle start. A parent stays in the room at first, then leaves for longer each day. Plan two to four weeks before you can work normal hours again.
Dropping Off and Picking Up
She slept badly last night.
Sie hat heute Nacht schlecht geschlafen.
He hasn't had breakfast yet.
Er hat noch nicht gefrühstückt.
Grandma is picking her up today.
Heute holt die Oma sie ab.
I'll pick him up at three.
Ich hole ihn um drei ab.
How was her day?
Wie war ihr Tag?
Did he eat well?
Hat er gut gegessen?
Did she have a nap?
Hat sie Mittagsschlaf gemacht?
The spare clothes are in the rucksack.
Die Wechselkleidung ist im Rucksack.
Practice these words
Sie hat heute Nacht schlecht geschlafen.
Watch out: tell the Kita in advance if someone else is collecting your child. Staff are not allowed to hand a child over to a person who isn't on the pick-up list, the Abholliste, however nice the grandma looks.
Notices on the Kita Door
| The notice says | It means |
|---|---|
Wir haben Läuse. | head lice in the group: check your child's hair tonight |
Magen-Darm geht um. | a stomach bug is going round |
Bitte Wechselkleidung auffüllen. | bring more spare clothes |
Bitte Matschhose und Gummistiefel mitbringen. | bring waterproof trousers and wellies |
Morgen ist Waldtag. | forest day tomorrow: sturdy shoes, old clothes |
Die Kita schließt heute um 14 Uhr. | early closing today |
Am Freitag ist Schließtag. | closed on Friday, often for staff training |
Matschhose is a word you'll learn in week one. German Kitas go outside in almost any weather, and the "mud trousers" stay on a hook in the cloakroom all year.
When Your Child Is Ill
My son is ill and isn't coming today.
Mein Sohn ist krank und kommt heute nicht.
My daughter has a fever.
Meine Tochter hat Fieber.
I'd like to report my daughter sick.
Ich möchte meine Tochter krankmelden.
She'll probably be back on Monday.
Sie kommt voraussichtlich am Montag wieder.
Does he need a doctor's note?
Braucht er ein Attest?
He has a stomach bug.
Er hat Magen-Darm.
Practice these words
Mein Sohn ist krank und kommt heute nicht.
Call early: Kitas and schools want to know before the day starts, usually by eight. Many now use an app for this. After vomiting or diarrhoea, most Kitas ask you to keep the child at home until 48 hours after the last symptoms.
Days off for parents: if you and your child have statutory health insurance and the child is under twelve, you can stay home to look after them and get Kinderkrankengeld from your Krankenkasse. In 2026 that's up to 15 working days per child for each parent, 30 for single parents. The paediatrician gives you the certificate for it.
Talking to Teachers and Nursery Staff
Could I have an appointment for a talk?
Könnte ich einen Termin für ein Gespräch bekommen?
How is my child getting on in the group?
Wie geht es meinem Kind in der Gruppe?
Has she made friends?
Hat sie Freunde gefunden?
Does he understand everything in German?
Versteht er alles auf Deutsch?
How can we help at home?
Wie können wir zu Hause helfen?
We speak English at home.
Wir sprechen zu Hause Englisch.
Could you explain that more slowly, please?
Könnten Sie das bitte langsamer erklären?
Practice these words
Könnte ich einen Termin für ein Gespräch bekommen?
Two languages are fine. Teachers and nursery staff generally advise parents to keep speaking their own language at home. Children pick up German at Kita and school, and a strong first language helps the second.
School Words for Parents
parents' evening
der Elternabend
parent-teacher meeting day
der Elternsprechtag
letter to parents
der Elternbrief
parents' representative
der Elternvertreter
first day of school
die Einschulung
school entry check-up
die Schuleingangsuntersuchung
absence note
die Entschuldigung
school trip with overnight stay
die Klassenfahrt
day trip
der Wandertag
all-day school
die Ganztagsschule
lunch
das Mittagessen
way to school
der Schulweg
Practice these words
der Elternabend
Elternabend: a meeting for all parents of a class, usually once or twice a year, in the evening, on the children's chairs. The teacher explains the plans, and the parents elect their representative. Go, even if you don't follow everything: it's where you meet the other parents.
Ganztag: since August 2026, children starting first class have a legal right to all-day care at primary school. The right grows by one year group each year until it covers classes 1 to 4.
An Absence Note for School
After an illness, schools expect a written Entschuldigung from a parent, on paper or through the school's app. This short version does the job:
Sehr geehrte Frau Weber,
meine Tochter Mia konnte am 12. und 13. März wegen einer Erkältung nicht am Unterricht teilnehmen. Ich bitte, ihr Fehlen zu entschuldigen.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Anna Bauer
"Dear Ms Weber, my daughter Mia was unable to attend lessons on 12 and 13 March because of a cold. Please excuse her absence. Yours sincerely, Anna Bauer."
For a planned absence, such as a doctor's appointment, ask beforehand: Ich bitte, meinen Sohn am Freitag vom Unterricht zu befreien. Extra days before or after the school holidays are almost never approved, and police have checked families at some airports.