HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE FIRST DAY AT THE KINDERGARTEN?

You’re worried about sending your child to kindergarten, and that’s understandable. It’s true that at the kindergarten is a really big thing. In either case, whether your child has been in preschool since they were two years old, they are about to embark on a new chapter in their education, and the new rules, school supplies and bus stops can be stressful.

Even the calmest parents may find themselves standing over their sleeping child’s bed at night, wondering, “How is our small baby large enough to survive at a big kid school?”

That insecure hand you let go of on the first day will be the same hand that waves eagerly at you when you get off the bus on the last day, which is a blessing in disguise. A school year can make a huge impact, and as any parent who has made it through will tell you, there are a few tips and methods that help make the adjustment easier on both kids and parents.

1. SOME BASIC KNOWLEDGE IS NOT ENOUGH

Knowing what your child should know before starting to be at the kindergarten is a terrific approach to give them an advantage in the classroom. Riss Courtade says she was startled at how much her daughter was expected to know before school started, from reading two- to three-word phrases to spelling and writing her complete name.

Courtade replies, “I recall studying these things in school.” To learn your ABCs, numbers, and colors. The idea that she would need to know all of that only to join kindergarten had never occurred to me before!”

2. NEVER BE SCARED TO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR CHILD TO BE AT THE KINDERGARTEN

In the fall of last year, when her son Daniel started kindergarten, Heather Lane was apprehensive to speak up about Daniel’s peanut allergy. Her experience taught her, however, that parents need to be prepared to be adamant and fight the school over anything that makes them feel like their child is in danger.

If your child suffers from a food allergy and the school is unaware of it, Lane adds, “they may not know what they should be doing to keep your child safe.” School nurses, school administration, and classroom teachers at the kindergarten should be consulted for the purpose of creating an allergy-free environment for your child.

Her autistic daughter, Elle, started her life at the kindergarten and Liz Christianson focused on building relationships with the teachers and assistants at her school. Teachers are more receptive of your counsel if you’re respectful and calm in stressful situations, Christianson advises.

3. BE A PART OF YOUR CHILD’S CLASSROOM FOR THE FIRST TIME YOUR CHILD AT THE KINDERGARTEN

Your involvement as a school volunteer can help you keep in touch with your child’s teacher and keep up with classroom activities. In spite of the school’s lack of individual attention, Prashant Udeshi thinks helping with his kindergarten-aged daughter Priya was an enjoyable opportunity to be active in his child’s education. This is the perfect time to get to know the other kids at the kindergarten as well as the teachers,” says Udeshi. “The kids will be eager to see you.”

4. PACK YOUR LUNCH CAREFULLY

Bento-box lunches can tempt parents into creating elaborate meals for their children. However, Amy Shandrowsky, a school reading specialist, adds that from her perspective, parents should prepare items that can be consumed quickly and that kids may open on their own at the kindergarten if they want to. There’s not much time to eat once they’ve walked to the cafeteria and sat down.

“Make sure they’re able to open all of their lunch containers on their own. Assure them that they can open their own yogurt tube or fruit snack bag. A straw must be inserted into the juice box.

5. MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON’T TAKE THE FUNDAMENTALS OF LIFE FOR GRANTED

Children who don’t know appropriate bathroom etiquette, or are terrified of going to the restroom by themselves on a daily basis. It’s not uncommon for students to make their first solo trip to the bathroom at the kindergarten. I find it helpful to have an adult at home go over things like washing their hands or flushing the toilet with them.
A fire drill or an emergency practice can also be overwhelming for children. Make sure your child understands that there’s no need to be terrified by explaining what’s going on ahead of time to their teacher at the kindergarten.

6. KNOWING THAT KINDERGARTEN IS A LOT OF WORK

A child’s first full-day school experience is usually kindergarten, so parents should expect their children to be fatigued after school, at least for the first few weeks. In the beginning, Udeshi advises, “don’t arrange a lot of after-school activities.”

A strict bedtime and a morning routine that allows youngsters to get as much sleep as possible are two more approaches to assist your child recuperate from a long day at the kindergarten. The night before, put out your child’s clothes and make a breakfast plan to keep things flowing smoothly the next day.

7. IT’S OK IF YOU FEEL VULNERABLE

There are many emotions involved with sending your child off to kindergarten and it’s appropriate for both you and your youngster to cry. Elkins says she’s been emotional every time she’s sent one of her children to kindergarten. One of your little ones has to leave the house for the most of the day! Kindergarten is one of the most difficult periods to let go of a child. This is making me cry,” says Elkins, whose fourth kid will be entering kindergarten in the fall of 2019.

8. YOUR CHILD AND YOU WILL BE OK

Parents should remember that kindergarten is their child’s first official schooling experience, and instructors and parents should work together to make kindergarten a successful one.

According to Weaver, “the most sincere thing I tell parents is that the amount of growth their child will make over the course of the school year is genuinely a remarkable experience to witness unfold.”

Parents can prepare somethings in advance for both you and your kids before sending them to the kindergarten. It will make you feel better and also help your child easy to harmonize into the new environment.