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Tips To Prepare Your Child For Preschool

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As the first step towards formal education, preschool is always one important, emotional event for both the young learners and the parents, especially the mother. Starting with a whole new routine is certainly hard to cope with. Whether it is for the mother who is overwhelmed by mixed emotions of being happy for her child’s newfound independence or the child who steps into a whole new life without their mother’s protective cushion. 

Even though each child and their parent goes through this transition at their own pace, certain ground rules or systematic ways of going about it can help ease the process for both, especially for the young ones. 

The most important aspect of this period is learning how to spend time apart and yet making it productive. Here are some tips to ease up the process of transitioning to preschool smoother. 

 

  • Tag along 

If that’s possible for you then do not skip tagging along with your kid to their new school before their first day. Exploring the new school, its playgrounds and classrooms together will help familiarise your kid with the ambience. 

 

  • Befriend their probable friends 

As a parent, you know your child best. Try arranging playdates with your child’s going-to-be classmates or friends. This will help them know their peers better. 

 

  • Play playschool at home 

Before your child has even started with their playschool, try playing and pretending the same setup at home. Innovate the routine in accordance with that of their new school and help them adapt to the process with fun. You can sometimes play the teacher and sometimes be their classmate. 

 

  • Incorporate necessary skills into games 

Necessary skills such as opening and closing the lunchbox right, zipping and unzipping backpacks, fastening the buttons or zippers of coats, etc. could be taught to them playfully at home. This will help them be ready for preschool. 

 

  • Tell your tales 

Emotions and stories play an integral part of their preschool preparation. Sharing your own experience of preschool, your first day, etc. with your child with positive connotations will help them to try and make their experience positive. 

 

  • Curate a whole new routine 

Children often find it hard to adjust when they start with preschool suddenly. To save the friction, start practicing the new bedtime and waking up time. If this is done at least a few weeks before their actual school starts, the morning rush and the tiresome days would simply not be a concern. You could even include picking up clothes and other minute tasks together. 

 

  • Listen to what they have to say 

Your little one has now grown up to be feeling enough. Ask them to voice out their feelings and emotions before they begin with the preschool preparations. Their emotions of excitement, worry, sadness or any other thing can only be negated rightly by you once you’ve known what it is. Reassuring them that even though they’ll be without you for a few hours, you’ll always be there to help them, is necessary. 

 

  • Customize a good-bye routine 

Saying goodbye is the most difficult part of preschool, especially for the first few days. When the time comes, you can curate a special goodbye routine with your child to make the process easier for the both of you.

Activities To Help Settling In Preschool

  • Portray Confidence 

Children usually soak in the qualities of their mother and try creating an identity beyond that when in preschool. One of the most important tasks for you as a parent, is to help them prepare for preschool with the right set of emotions and their responsible portrayal. If you reflect anxiety or stress, they’ll feel it too. Similarly, portraying confidence will help them be confident about the same too.  

 

  • Role Play The Probable Difficulties 

Teaching effective emotional and social skills to children is one tough task. However, role playing can help make the process easier. Play pretend scenarios and situations that demand their emotional intelligence and social skills and teach them what’s the right thing to do if they fail sometimes. That’ll simplify many unanticipated situations for them at preschool. 

 

  • Spend Time Reading Together 

Reading books to your kids about preschool, such as “Little School” by Beth Norling, “Maisy Goes to Preschool” by Lucy Cousins, “The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn, “Llama Llama Misses Mama” by Anna Dewdney or “Little School” by Beth Norling can help a lot. These books have one similar component that is, separation anxiety. Reading such books to your kids will help them learn a way of expressing their emotions and make their transition easier. It’ll also develop a fondness for reading books. 

 

  • Independent Training 

As your preschooler is being prepared for their new life, try helping them do their daily tasks independently. Teach them the basic toilet habits, dressing skills, cleanliness, and other important day-to-day tasks that’ll help them slowly step forward towards their adulthood. However, make sure to not overwhelm them with everything at once. One step at a time is key. 

 

  • Do Not Lose Touch 

Even though your child has started attending their preschool for a while, they’ll always need you to be there for them emotionally and physically. Try to pay heed to what they have to say. Notice unusual actions and understand the reason behind. If needed, visit their school once in a while just to see how they’re doing. It’ll make them feel that you’re still there for them regardless of the changes. 

 

Preschool is the fundamental period of enormous growth. A few conscious steps in advance will simplify the transition and make it more effective for confidence-building.