Starting preschool is one of the biggest milestones for both parent and child. The start of a child’s first preschool year is often the beginning of his or her first formal learning experiences. And it may also be the first time that parent and child have been separated for any significant period of time. Both the newness of the experience and the separation can create anxiety for parent and child. But if you are both prepared, the transition to preschool doesn’t have to be miserable and scary. Here are a few tips to help you and your child prepare for the first day of preschool.
STARTING PRESCHOOL TIPS FOR THE NERVOUS PARENT
Believe it or not, parent are just if not more nervous than their child on the first day of preschool. As a parent of a young child, leaving them to the staff and teachers of a preschool can be an intimidating experience. This may be one of the few times that your child has been away from you for a long period of time and you worry about how they will take it. This cyclical worry in which you become worried about your child’s worry – – let that spin for a moment – – is a totally natural reaction. Follow some of these tips to help calm your nerves.
- Remind yourself of the great benefits that enrolling your child in preschool will impart on them. Keeping this positive thought in mind can help relieve some of your anxiety, which are mostly negative and defeating thoughts not based in reality.
- Get to know the teachers and staff a little before starting preschool. Getting to know the teachers makes it easier to leave your child with them. They are no longer strangers, but partners in your child’s development!
- Make friends with the other parents. Being able to share your concerns with another parent is a great way for both of you to deflect and dissipate the anxiety of starting preschool.
- Go do something for you! If you have up till this point been focused on your child, the start of preschool may be a great time for you to do some fun stuff that you have wanted to do. Join a gym, take a class you always to take, or just go out to lunch with a few good friends – kid free!
These tips will help make the transition from parent of toddler to parent of young scholar much easier.
STARTING PRESCHOOL TIPS FOR A NERVOUS CHILD
Starting preschool can be just as intimidating and nerve racking for the child as it is for the parents. While you as the parent are trying to calm your own nerves about the beginning of preschool it is important that you don’t let your anxiety rub off on your child. In this scenario, your over worry is very counterproductive and can end up making your child more nervous than she would be. So the first tip to helping your child overcome any anxiety about the first day of preschool is to speak positively about preschool and how much fun it will be. Below are some more tips to help your child adjust and become the accomplished little scholar you know they can be
- Associate the first day of school with new and exciting things. Take your child to pick out a new backpack and fun school materials. Let your child pick out most of the items. This will help them to get excited about preschool instead of nervous.
- Make a play date with some of the other children in your child’s class. Get a list of other parents from the preschool and call them up and ask if the want to have a play date. This will make it easier for both kids to start preschool because they will have already made friends, making the environment more familiar.
- If your child is still exhibiting nervousness about the first day, give them something of your that they can hold onto during the day. Tell them that you are giving it to them for safe keeping and that you will be back to get it. This will help calm separation anxiety.
- Talk to your child about your preschool experience and how much you learned, laughed and loved and all the friends you made. If you have any, show your kids pictures of you on your first day of preschool. They will love this and it will show them that it is a positive experience.
The last thing to remember is to never give up. Don’t pull your child out of preschool because you are her may be having a hard time adjusting. It is totally natural to be nervous with such a new setting and situation and any nerves wear off I no time as your child experiences new and fun activities and events. And you get the awesome benefit of hearing all about their great days at school!
PRESCHOOL AT WATCH ME GROW CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
At Watch Me Grow Child Development Center, our caring and nurturing staff are ready to help you and your child make a smooth transition into the world of learning. Watch Me Grow has an engaging preschool curriculum that will help to turn those butterflies in your child’s stomach into smiles! We also courage parents to get involved in everyday school activities! Come check out our programs and contact us today!
