Starting kindergarten can be both exciting and frightening for your child, and parents are often just as anxiety-ridden as their preschoolers when it comes to this major milestone. To ease the anxiety, there are a variety of things you can do to help make your preschooler’s transition to kindergarten a smooth one.
Do a Dry Run
One of the easiest ways to help ease your child into attending kindergarten is
to do a dry run. Visit the school ahead of the first day—even when the school
is closed—just to familiarize your child with the location. If there is a
designated day before the official first day of school to meet teachers and
faculty, be sure to bring your child along to participate. If your child’s
school does not offer a “meet the teacher” day, contact school administrators
to see if you can schedule a time to meet with your child’s teacher and other
faculty before school begins.
Also, a week or two ahead of the first day of school, begin to adjust your
daily and nightly routines to get your child familiarized with what will be
expected of them during the school year. Adjust bedtimes, mealtimes, and daily
routines to get your child accustomed to their new schedule.
Beat First-Day
Jitters
It is natural for children as well as parents to be nervous the first day, so
using strategies to beat first-day jitters is critical. Always remain positive,
because you will be leaving your child for the day and this is likely to cause
some nervousness. Refrain from getting overly emotional when saying goodbye at
the bus stop or the school and reassure your child that you will see them at
the end of the day. Also, be sure to describe school in a positive way and
reiterate that this will be a great experience.
To further cut down on first-day jitters, avoid any behaviors that could
trigger anxiety or upset your child such as crying, being argumentative with
teachers or bus drivers, or disagreeing with your child over meals or fashion
choices. Encourage your child to eat a healthy breakfast on the first day of
school but do not fret if their appetite is not as hearty as normal.
Get to Know the
Teachers
Aside from doing a dry run, you will want to remain in regular contact with
your child’s teacher, especially during the first few weeks of school. At the
beginning of the school year and throughout, teachers will likely send home a
lot of information in your child’s backpack, which will include important
school events, meetings, and other information. Be sure to check your child’s
backpack daily and review with your child the information you receive.
Keep the lines of communication open with teachers, and if any issues come
up, be sure you have their contact information on hand. If any concerns arise,
do not hesitate to set up a meeting with the principal or teacher to discuss
and resolve issues.
Keep Communication
Open
One of the best ways to ease the transition to kindergarten is to discuss any
fears or insecurities your child may have about starting school. Talking to
your child provides good insight into how your child feels and allows you to
help them manage their stress. After each school day, always ask how your
child’s day went—if they are having a hard time, try to get to the bottom of
the problem.
A lot of children are very vocal about their dislikes about the school, but
others may take some prodding to get them to open up. Always let your child
express what is frustrating them and try not to project any of your fears onto
them. Let your child talk openly about things so you can help them come up with
practical solutions. Your child may be prone to ask more questions in the first
few weeks of school, so answer them as best you can.
Ask them what they’ve learned and how they feel the school is helping them,
if they’ve made any new friends, or if there are any activities they
particularly enjoy at school. Keeping communication open can help ease the
stress of transitioning to kindergarten.
Making Kindergarten
an Exciting Time
Kindergarten is undoubtedly a big change for many children, and for those who
did not attend a pre-kindergarten program, it will be their first experience in
a structured learning environment.
Transitioning to kindergarten can be especially stressful for children who
have no other school experiences as they will be expected to develop social
skills, as well as practical skills like reading and writing, all while being
expected to follow classroom rules. Always express excitement when discussing
the type of things that they can expect in the kindergarten classroom, as this
will help your child mentally prepare for one of the most exciting and
educational times of their life.
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