“What can I do to prepare my child (and me!) for preschool or kindergarten?”
The most important thing that you can do to prepare your child for preschool or kindergarten is to be prepared yourself. These are new adventures, and it is perfectly normal for you to have a little anxiety and question whether or not your child is ready for this next big step. Just remember, if you are ready, they will be too!
Some initial questions for you to ponder and act upon: Have you toured the schools, met the teachers or director, and asked questions to make sure that your philosophy and the school’s compliment each other? And more importantly, have you brought your child to the facility? If so, did they have a good time? Were they engaged? Did they like the teacher? Did you like the teacher?
Having your child go to school for the first time, or if they are going to a new school or entering elementary from preschool, can be an emotional experience. The important thing is that those emotions, while being a little heart tugging, should be joyful! Your child is getting bigger and ready for new adventures. Hopefully, these ideas can help you begin this journey with more solid footing!
- Once you have made a decision on where to send your child to school, make it a point to drive through the parking lot or walk by and point out that this is their new school. Having children get more comfortable with the destination will help those first day jitters when you drop off for the first time.
- Practice, practice, practice! Even the most schedule-oriented household is different from a school setting. The more you establish and stick to a routine, the more comfortable your child will be at school with the daily schedule and transitions. So what does this mean? Establish a bedtime routine, have meal times be consistent and try to let them be a little more independent with putting on their clothes, going potty, and washing their hands. Summer time schedules tend to be a little more lax, but putting these few, but crucial, routines in place a few weeks before school begins will be so helpful to you when the day comes!
- Talk about it. Children are natural planners and like to know what is going to happen next. Talk about the new school and the new teacher and reinforce all of the positive memories that took place during a tour or a family fun event.
- Don’t skip Parent Orientation and make sure you take your child, too. Typically, parent orientation is anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks before school starts. This is a great way to have your child visit the classroom and see the teacher one last time before school begins.
- You’re all set! And one last thing – don’t forget to take a picture on the first day of school. These are memories that will last a lifetime!
For more great tips and ideas on how to successfully make the leap to school, check out this helpful article.
School begins in just 3 weeks, and we would be honored to have your kiddos as part of our MMA School Family! Don’t hesitate to call us with any questions, and you can click here to register directly online.
