First, it was 2 months off, and now, it is literally less than 2 weeks left before the kiddos go to preschool. In fact, some places have already started the school year! As PreK mental health consultant, one of the most an d immediate question I get asked from parents is what should the parents do to prepare their kids (and themselves) for the new school year.
Many parents are anxious and stressed about just what they need to, have to, should have, must, maybe, probably should, do, to prepare their kids. After years of working with parents, teachers and the schools, here are 3 simple steps you can do before the school starts.
1. Know your school staff--- do you know the teacher’s name? how about the teaching assistant or teaching aide? Do you know who the director of your program is? Or the name of the principal? It is always my number one suggestion: know the people who are going to be involved in your kid’s life for the next 10 months. It makes a great impression to the teaching staff, and letting them know that you are serious about making sure your kid gets the best out of the class. So do a little homework, go to the meet and greet, orientation or even just stop by the school to get yourself familiarize with the place.
2. Establish routines---if you haven’t already, start having a semi-flexible schedule for your child that is corresponding to the school schedule. For example, if the school ends at 2:30, what would you like to do with your kid? Bring him to the park? Or go home for a nap? What time do you want to set the bed time at so he has enough hours of sleep before he has to wake up for 7am? Or even earlier? It is best to get it started early so the children can have a smoother transition into the school year and a better adjustment period once school starts. Also, practice going to the school is another great way for children to learn and establish the routine that will greatly reduce their anxiety at the beginning of the school year.
3. Provide the “home touch”---for many children, this is often their first time being away from their families for an “extended period of time” during the day (and weeks!). It is a huge change in their lives and they often don’t know how to handle it emotionally. Hence the first month in school is often about dealing with the “crying children.”—There are many tips to help with the children’s separation anxiety. One of the most common and effective ones is bring something from home to keep it in school. For example, a family picture, or a teddy bear. One of my favorites is a mother wrote "we love you, have fun and see you soon" on the back of a family picture so the kid can look at the picture when he misses his mom and dad for a few moments, then go back to join his friends at the table.
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