10 Ways to Prepare Your Child for Preschool

10 Ways to Prepare Your Child for Preschool

Preschool is a milestone for a child but sending them to school for the first time can be nerve-wracking. Some children embrace the change in schedule as they go to school for the first time. Some develop anxiety from being separated and respond negatively.

How parents begin to prepare child for preschool?

Preschool is a wonderful experience for children. It may be a huge change for the parents and the kids, but there are a lot of benefits that come from it. Here are 10 ways you can prepare your children for this transition in their life.

Visit the school ahead of time and meet the teacher

One of the reasons children are anxious about starting school is that it feels foreign to them. Everything is new and they don’t have an idea of what to expect. Visiting the school with your children helps familiarize them with it. Before the first day of school, bring your child to visit.

Show them where their classroom will be and let them meet the teachers. Introduce the preschool environment and talk to them about what they will do there. This will help your child get familiar with the new surroundings.

Bring your child along when buying school supplies

Letting your child pick out the things they’ll be using in school will get them excited. When you shop for school supplies, bring them along. You can even let them pick out the bag they’re going to use!

Talk about school to your kids

In your daily conversation with your child, open up about the exciting things children do in school. Describe how a typical day goes in a preschool classroom so they’ll look forward to it.

Practice being away from your child

You can do this by allowing your child to spend time with other people. Try leaving them in a family or friend’s house for a short period of time. Let other family members babysit your child so your child won’t be dependent on you.

Just remember to let your child know that you are coming back.

Develop a morning and evening routine

Days before the first day of school, parents are encouraged to develop a good morning and evening routine. Get your child in the habit of arranging their school things in the evening so they will be ready for the next day.

Let them work on their school-related activities in the evening. Weeks before school starts, let your children get accustomed to sleeping and waking up early. This will prepare them for when school starts.

Play pretend-school at your home

Pretend play gives a lot of benefits to children. It widens their imagination and develops their creativity. Before your child starts going to preschool, you can play pretend school at home to prepare them for the actual thing. You can even let your child be the teacher!

Simulate a real classroom by doing school work together, having recess, story time, and making arts and crafts. You can even sing and dance to nursery rhymes together! Pretend play is a great way to help your child imagine what school life can be.

Read books about school to your child

Before bedtime, have story time with your kids and read books about school. There are several children’s books that have positive stories about school and how children enjoy it. Find some in your local bookstores. This will add to their excitement about school.

Teach them independent skills

Get your child involved in becoming more independent. Encourage your child to be self-sufficient and teach them things they can do by themselves. Putting away their toys, cleaning up their messes, and storing leftovers away are some things they can do on their own.

Pack your child’s favorite lunch

To brighten your child’s day, pack them their favorite lunch. This will make them look forward to eating it. You can even let your child help you prepare it.

Make sure your child gets enough food and sleep

As mentioned before, it’s important to establish a good routine in the morning and evening. Make sure that your child gets enough sleep so they’ll have enough energy for school. Make sure they have enough to eat at breakfast, so they can stay energized for the rest of the day.

The transition to preschool can be hard for children, especially those who are going to school for the first time. Separation anxiety can be overcome  with parental support. Make sure to give your child the attention they need at home. Let them know you are proud of them for going to school. Don’t forget to give them lots of hugs and kisses.

Are you looking for a good quality toddler program? Head on to Montessori School of Downtown and check out the services we offer. We would love to talk to you today!

 

AUTHOR: Montessori School of Downtown

It all began over 30 years ago with two newlyweds who were passionate about education. Together, Ms. Rita, a renowned professional educator, and Mr. Hersh, a natural teacher and entrepreneur, created a child care education program that focused on the concept of self-inspired learning.View all posts by Montessori School of Downtown |