For some kids, starting preschool might sound super exciting, but for others, it is quite dreadful. After all, a child has to experience and adjust to a completely new environment which can be pretty scary (even for parents). If your child is about to start preschool and you are having mixed feelings, don’t worry about it. It is absolutely normal to feel overwhelmed with different emotions when your child is about to start preschool.
A great tip for parents is that they should talk to their child about preschool before it even begins. This will help your child understand the idea of going to school and learning. Sometimes reading books about preschool also prepares kids beforehand and they don’t face much trouble adjusting to the school environment.
Here are 6 tips for helping your child adjust to preschool:
Prepare Yourself
The first step is to prepare yourself to leave your child at school. Kids have a good sense of picking up on nonverbal cues such as stress or sadness. So try to be calm and use an encouraging tone when you are talking to your child. You should be mentally prepared for your child’s first day of school. This will ease the transition for both.
Have a Fixed Routine
Children need to have a consistent routine. Make sure that your child goes to bed on time in order to be fresh and active the next morning. Moreover, create a consistent healthy morning routine as well which should include having breakfast, reading a book on the way to school, saying hello to the teacher, and happily saying goodbye. Sometimes the child may get cranky in the morning and might even cry. Try to comfort your child and make them understand that everything will be alright. Do not yell or be harsh to your child at this point.
Don’t Leave Without Saying Goodbye
This is a very important tip that most parents skip out on. It is essential to say goodbye to your child before leaving them at school. If you sneak out without saying goodbye, this will only make things worse as your child could feel abandoned or tricked. It will have a negative psychological effect which you obviously wouldn’t want.
Talk to the Teacher
This is a very useful tip. Talking to the teacher always helps as you can familiarize them with your child’s habits and needs. Teachers can be super accommodating and will pay extra attention to any special needs of your child. You should also encourage your child to talk to the teacher to help ease the transition.
Prepare Your Child
It is always a good idea to encourage your child to read books before starting preschool. Parents should talk to their children about preschool before it even begins. This will help your child understand the idea of going to school and learning. Sometimes reading books about preschool also prepares kids beforehand and they don’t face much trouble adjusting to the school environment. You can also get your child to try a few interactive activities such as solving puzzles or coloring.
Have Positive Interactions
You need to ask the right questions when your child starts preschool. For example, you can ask how the day went, what did they do today, did you make any new friends, or what made you smile today. These are all interactive and positive questions. Engage your child in talking about school more often. This will also help in the long run.
It is understandable that this change can be too difficult for some parents as well as some children. There is nothing to worry about though because sooner or later, your child will adjust to the routine. The first few days are always hard but if you follow these simple tips, your child will be most likely to adjust to the idea of preschool in no time.