Preschool is a big move for your child. It involves adjusting to different schedules, meeting new classmates, and experiencing new ways of learning. Knowing ahead of time makes it sanitary of the germs. Little things at home and teasing them a bit ahead of time will build kids’ self-confidence and thrill them on their first days at preschool.
Familiarize Your Child with the School Environment
Take your child to the preschool ahead of their first day. Allow them to explore the classrooms, playground, and other areas. Using that time to get acquainted with the teachers and other pupils may help allay the anxiety and make the new environment appear less threatening, more digestible, and inviting. This can also be achieved by talking to your child about the visit to help them fully process what they witnessed, and also get them hyped up to go to school.
Establish a Routine at Home
Preschool is also a scheduled program and, therefore, it will be easier to adopt at home. Establish time to get up, eating periods, sleeping, and playing. Doing things closer to activities at school to accustom the children to expectations, as well as making them feel that things are stable, is important. Stressful mornings may also be decreased by gradually moving bedtime and morning routines several times
a weeks before school starts.
Encourage Independence
Preschool plays a role in encouraging a child to do things on his/her own. The parents are supposed to enable them by helping them develop the basic skills of taking care of themselves, such as dressing, using the toilet, washing hands, and eating, among others. These simple chores, like picking up toys or retrieving their school bag ahead of time, will ensure that the child is not cowered and independent; hence, in a better position to undertake preschool responsibilities and may not necessitate constant monitoring.
Develop Social Skills
Major activities in preschool include communicating with peers. Arrange a playdate or a small group that can allow your child to learn to take turns, share, and cooperate with others. Being social is also assisted by discussing feelings and training empathy in the children. Such experiences in early life develop the basis for positive friendships and feelings of belonging in school.
Introduce Basic Academic Concepts
Since preschool comes with play-based learning, exposing your child to a few simplified academic concepts can help make your child more confident. Playing with objects (such as letters, numbers, colors, and shapes) through games, stories, and daily activities helps familiarize children with these elements. Investigation through asking questions and making experiments with others should be encouraged, which could hopefully lead to more interesting and fun learning at the preschool.
Talk About Emotions and School Experiences
Children can be nervous or excited to come to preschool. Get them to share how they are feeling and discuss what to expect, openly. Your child might feel reassured after reading books about going to school, sharing a brief story about your transfer to school, and using positive language. The fact that it is no surprise that they will feel divided in their feelings decreases anxiety and makes them accept preschool with a positive attitude.
