How To Help Your Child Transition Into Preschool
Posted on: 12 March 2015
One of the first big milestones your child will go through happens when they go to preschool. This can be a scary time, but it is also an important step. It lets your child learn to socialize, make friends, and play with other kids. Even if they are only there on a part-time basis, you want to make the transition as easy as possible. Here are some tips for getting your child ready for preschool:
Learn What the Preschool Offers
Before you start talking to your child about their new preschool, find out what the school offers. Get to know their schedule, be aware of how many kids will be there, and understand the activities offered. This will help when you start introducing the idea to your child.
You can use this information to your advantage, by boasting about play time, reading new books, and how many kids your child will play with. If you have a child who loves art projects and you know the preschool offers finger painting, you can talk about that. These details will get your child excited about going.
Bring Your Child For a Tour
After you talk to your child about going to preschool, bring them to the school for a tour. It helps when they can see the school before their first day, especially when there aren't a lot of kids around. Ask the proprietor of the preschool if you can go by either early in the morning before kids show up, or in the late afternoon when everyone has left.
It is okay if a few kids are there, but seeing a lot of kids may stress yours out. Let them see the playground outside, tour the classroom they will be staying in, and see what the school is like. This helps them feel more comfortable on their first day.
Try Object Permanence
Of the struggles with children going to preschool is separation anxiety. Your child has spent their entire life so far with you every day. This can be a very hard transition. Object permanence is a method used to teach your child even if they don't see you, you will still come back for them.
You can do this by having them hide a stuffed animal under a blanket. Ask the child to look for the stuffed animal. When they find it, explain that while they didn't see the stuffed animal at first, it still came back, just like you will every day when the school day is over.
Improve Their Social Skills
Being around other kids is another part of the transition period. If your child has cousins or neighborhood kids around the same age, set up some play dates before preschool begins. This will teach them proper social skills among children their age, such as how to talk to other kids, and how to share.
This can get them comfortable with new social encounters and will improve their social skills so that it isn't so difficult when they go to school with other kids. To learn more, contact a company like Old Dominion Day School Inc.
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