Teach the child before the kitten appears
Children do not instinctively know that a kitten is not a toy, so the first lesson happens without the animal present. Practise on a soft toy: how to sit still with hands in lap, how to offer the back of one hand to be sniffed, how to stroke gently along the back, and what a kitten's stop signals look like in pictures or words, such as walking away, flattening ears or flicking a tail hard. Explain that the kitten decides: she may come, she may watch from across the room, and both are successful meetings. A child who arrives at the real introduction already knowing the moves is calmer, and a calm child is what makes the kitten brave enough to approach.
The first meeting, minute by minute
Choose a quiet time when neither the child nor the kitten is tired or wound up, and settle the child on the floor in the kitten's room with an adult beside them. Let the kitten enter or emerge in her own time, with her hiding place and exit route unobstructed. If she approaches, the child stays still for the sniff, then offers one slow stroke if she leans in. Treats dropped on the floor by the child build the association without hand pressure. End after a few good minutes, ideally before the kitten leaves on her own, and praise the child specifically for what they did well, because the child's behaviour is the part being trained most.
Rules that stay in force after day one
The introduction rules become permanent house rules: the kitten is never picked up by a child until she is older, fully relaxed with that child, and an adult has taught and approved the supported lift; never chased, cornered or pulled from a hiding place; never disturbed while sleeping or eating; and play uses wand toys so hands never become targets. Post the rules where visiting children and their parents can also see them, since playdates are where careful home training most often collapses. If a rule is broken, separate calmly and reset later rather than scolding anyone in the moment, which only adds noise and stress to the kitten's memory of children.
Watch both of them, not just the kitten
Supervision means reading the child as carefully as the cat. A child who is getting louder, faster and more excited is approaching the point where gentle intent stops mattering, so insert a break before that point, with a drink, a different activity, and the kitten free to retire. Likewise, a kitten who was relaxed and begins to stare, twitch or mouth at hands is finished for the day even if the child is behaving beautifully. Over following weeks, sessions can lengthen and the child can take on small care roles, such as placing the food bowl down, which deepens the bond in a way pure play does not.
Written rules every adult can enforce
These introductions involve more adults than the two who planned them: partners, grandparents, babysitters and visiting parents all supervise at different times, and each needs the identical rule set or the kitten receives mixed lessons. Keep the rules concise, written, and attached to the kitten's other care information rather than relying on a conversation everyone half-remembers. KinsLe Family Sharing does exactly that by sharing your kitten's profile and care details with the family who help, so the child-introduction rules travel with her information wherever she is being looked after.