Nicole Yontz is a stay at home mom in Arizona, a contributing parenting write for WhatToExpect.com and a personal blogger at TheBetterHalfBlogs.com.
After potty training and learning to sleep in a big kid bed, going off to preschool is the next huge milestone in your little one's life. The most important thing you can do for your toddler is to ensure that they are well prepared physically, emotionally, and mentally to make the transition a happy and exciting one.
The first thing I recommend is to find a school that fits your family. Ask other moms you know in your area where their kids went to school and what they thought of it. Familiarize yourself with terms like “Montessori” and “Waldorf” and what each means in terms of their teaching philosophy, and then make visits to the school to experience a typical day. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, especially about their methods of discipline, and take your time as you tour the campus. This is where your child will be spending a lot of time; make sure you find the environment to be safe, comfortable, and child-centered to your liking. It’s always a good idea to do some Internet sleuthing when it comes to the people and place you will be leaving your child with on a daily basis.
Once you have your school picked out, it’s time to get your wee little bunny excited about gaining knowledge! Taking them to see their new school and meet their teacher well before the first day is a great way to set the stage. In the days leading up to their big day, talk often about what they have to expect and what you will be expecting of them along the lines of sitting quietly, listening to the teacher, and sharing nicely with the other children. If this is your child’s first introduction to other kids, you may want to start them in a playgroup or even just a busy park to get them used to being around other kids. Often times, your local community center or YMCA will have parent-tot classes that will help with introducing your child to the classroom environment for little to no money.
Finally, a few days before school starts, start them on their new school routine. This means going to bed at a decent time, waking up, getting dressed and fed just like they will on school days. This enables you to work out any kinks in your system before the big day arrives. In our house, we find it easiest to pick out our clothes, setting aside our shoes, backpack and anything else we will need, the night before to avoid running around our house looking for a lost shoe when we should be running out the door.
Starting school for the first time is such an exciting time in your child's life. You’ve done all you can do to prepare them, and now it’s time to send them off to learn and grow. Always be a positive and helpful parent, but most of all always keep the lines of communication open and available to your child’s teacher. Teachers have studied long and hard to get to where they are and, in doing such, they deserve our respect. If your child’s teacher informs you of issues with your child, be open to hearing and resolving without getting defensive and angry. The minute your child sees you be disrespectful to their teacher it opens the door for them to be disrespectful as well. See your child’s teacher as an ally in your parenting journey. You and your child will be better for it.
For more on preparing you and your child for preschool, check out the WhatToExpect.com "Starting Preschool" section.
PS. It’s okay to cry that first day. We all did!
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