How to Prepare Your Children for Preschool

Preschool is a critical year for your children. It’s their first step towards independence. Children always rely on adults to help them with different tasks. Once they step inside a school environment, everything changes. The problem is that not all children are ready to go to school at the same time. While some feel excited, others aren’t. They might even drag their heels when asked to prepare for school on day one. The key is to prepare your children even before school starts. Here are some tips.

Explain what happens at school

The best way to prepare your children is by telling them what to expect once they’re at school. Show the exciting activities they can do with other children. They might have misconceptions about what takes place at school, and you have to clarify things with them.

Meet the teacher

Another strategy is to meet with the teacher before school starts. Establish a relationship and build trust. It takes a while, but it’s better to start early. It also helps that the teacher already understands what your children need and how they behave. It’s easier to deal with them at school once the classes begin.

Set a playdate with other children

Being exposed to a school-like setting is also useful. Allow your children to have playdates with their potential classmates. Let them get used to the idea of sharing toys with others and interacting with them. Once they go to school, they won’t have a hard time adjusting anymore. If you wish to meet with other parents and know their parenting tips, you can check out https://parentgood.app.

Visit the school

It also doesn’t hurt to know what the school looks like. Perhaps, your children only saw it in pictures and videos. The environment will feel less threatening if they already saw it before the first day of class.

Keep reminding them about going to school

Mental conditioning works with children. Let them realize the importance of being at school. Tell them what to expect and why they should feel excited. Repeat it as often as possible until it sticks in their minds.

Roleplay at home

You can pretend to be a teacher or a playmate at home. Set your living room up for it to look like a classroom. You can also include stuffed toys as part of the role play. If there are adult siblings, they can also help.

Be optimistic

The first day will never be flawless. Expect glitches along the way. The important thing is that you prepare your children and make them appreciate school. They won’t understand the reason for going there, but they will eventually love it. The goal is to get through the first-day jitters and make it as smooth as possible. Try to be optimistic without setting high expectations.

If the first day doesn’t go well, you can always give it another go. Try again the next day and learn from the mistakes of the previous day. Most children can't even adjust until ten weeks later. Be patient, and don't pressure your children.