The lead-up to starting school is full of excitement and some anxiety. Will my little one like school? Will they be okay without me? Will they have a hard time at drop-off? Will I have a hard time at drop-off? All parents worry about change with their little one, and starting school is one of the biggest changes you both will experience. With the help of these parenting tips, you can feel prepared and excited for your little one’s first day of school at one of your closest pre k schools near me.
About a month before school starts is a great time to get into the school schedule.
- Adjusting the nighttime and/or morning routines for the pre k school near me schedule also gets your whole family used to the new routine.
- Easing into a new schedule over time can help avoid a rough night or morning on the first day of school – so you can focus on the exciting day.
- Here’s an extra parenting tip: If your little one’s bedtime needs to be adjusted, do it about 15 minutes at a time.
Around two weeks before school starts, have conversations about school and what they can expect their days will look like very soon.
- Great parenting tips often involve books! Read storybooks about starting school or new school experiences.
- Get your little one involved by letting them pick out a backpack, lunchbox, a key chain, other essential school supplies, and possibly a transitional object.
- Another helpful parenting tip is to talk it out; share past school experiences. If they have an older sibling who went to this same pre k school near me, encourage them to talk to your little one about going to school and what they can expect.
About a week before school starts, build excitement and familiarity.
- Start a countdown to the big day! A calendar to check off the days – maybe a tear away calendar or some other type of visual so they better understand that something exciting is happening in the following days.
- Pick up lunch and snack options with your little one, with favorite foods in mind. Favorite foods can be comforting and reliable.
- Take a walk, or a couple of walks, by that pre k school near me to let them get familiar with the place they are going to spend so much time learning and playing.
- Talk more about what it will be like, what and who they can expect to see. Show them what their teacher looks like! Teachers may send a postcard or email videos out to families to introduce themselves so they will be less of a stranger to your little one.
The night before school starts, prepare for the morning.
- Make lunch or snacks if needed, lay out clothes for your little one and yourself. Pack the bags you need so the morning focus can be on breakfast and getting you and your little one ready for their school day.
- Follow your nighttime routine as usual, maybe include a storybook about school!
The big day is here! The first day is going to be exciting, maybe a little nerve wracking – keep the vibes up – everything may not go as planned and that is okay.
- Make a breakfast you know they will eat, but if they don’t eat everything or as much as usual, no worries. Pack a snack or make sure a snack will be offered at school, just be sure to let the teacher know they may get hungry.
- Make sure transitional objects or something that will bring them some extra comfort should they need it are with them.
- Have a special goodbye, a secret handshake, or an inside joke — it’s a great way to send them off and makes saying “see you later” outside of that pre k school near me a little easier.
Your little one has officially started school! For some little ones, adjusting to this new pre k school near me and all the new people inside can be difficult and may result in some tearful goodbyes.
- If your little one is struggling with drop off, connect with their teacher later and see how they are doing during the school day.
- A very important parenting tip: be on time for pick up, especially in the first week! Our little ones are still learning that their grown-ups always come back to pick them up at their pre k school near me.
- Maybe your little one had no problem starting school for the first couple days, but then you start to see more tears at drop off. Regression can happen; change can be easy at first and then implementing it can be hard for your little one. Remember this simple parenting tip: Give it time, repetition, and consistency in order to help them learn their new school routine.
All of us here at Playgarden Prep are looking forward to the first day of school at our pre k school near me, and hope these parenting tips mean you are too!
