First day of preschool is no doubt a big day for both parents and the child. The parents are apprehensive, and the child is fearful and nervous. These feelings are quite natural and almost every parent and child experiences them at some point in their life. Here are some tips to make this big day less tense.
Before sending your child to any preschool, do extensive research on the kinds of educational systems currently in use and their impact on a child’s long-term development. You may want to visit the school yourself and explore its setup, meet with the teachers, see the classrooms and so on.
When choosing the right preschool for your child, ask for recommendations from family and friends. Experienced people will have many stories to tell. Make a list of some quality preschools available in your area and then find out more about each one of them.
Montessori has been found to be one of the most effective systems today. Again, conduct some initial and basic research on this type of schooling and then pay a visit to the school to see whether the school actually practices the entire Montessori methodology or is simply using the name. Arrange personal meetings with some of the teachers and ask all kinds of questions you have in mind.
Before the “big day” arrives, prepare your child for it. Children normally find it difficult to be away from their parents for hours at one time. When your child is old enough to be on her own for a while, send her over to a neighbor’s house to play for a few hours. Similarly, buy a school bag for your child and make a classroom-like arrangement in a room to make her familiar with the environment.
Make this entire transition from a baby to a school-going kid a gradual and slow process. This way it will be easier for your child to assimilate all the new things. Buy some elementary books and teach your child A-B-C and 1-2-3 at home. Also, watch educational movies and TV channels especially made for children below 3 years of age.
Try to leave your child in care of different people on different days. This way your child will be able to easily mingle with new people and new environments. Also have your friends’ kids come over to your place and let all the children play together, share their toys and even fight. If your child is reserved and does not mingle with kids of her own age, there are chances of some trouble during early days at preschool. However, this shyness eventually goes away and there is nothing to worry about.
Follow these tips with enthusiasm to make the first day of your child at preschool somewhat easier and less worrisome. Excitedly talk about the experiences of preschool with your child and tell her that it is going to be a lot of fun. Most likely, you will be anxious and fearful about your child’s first-day performance and behavior, but that is another article…