Preschool is a big step for kids (and parents, too!). While your little one is growing up and learning new things, it’s important to make sure that they’re ready for this next step in their education and development. Here are a few ways you can help get your child ready for preschool!
1. Continue to Read With Your Kids
It’s no secret that children love spending time with their parents. Reading with them is one of the things that you need to continue doing with them. While early education of children aged 0 to 5 years can help prepare them to develop emotional and social skills, reading to your kids is still a great way to help stimulate their imagination and help them develop language and listening skills. This can give them the boost they need to understand the written word.
2. Visit Parks and Friends to Socialize
Preschool can be a big jump in socialization for kids. Even in private schools, small class sizes have a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio. It can help to have y our child around other people to get used to other kids. This is especially important if your kid is an only child. Socialize by visiting friends and parks whenever you can to put them in a fun environment where they can develop their social skills. The better the social skills your child has as they join preschool, the better their chances of adjusting accordingly to the new environment.
3. Listen to Any Worries Your Child Might Have
Remember that your child might have a number of worries as they’re getting used to preschool. It’s important for you to validate these fears and let them know that it’s okay for them to feel the way they do. Work on their issues with them so that they can understand how to deal with them by themselves in the future. When you do, you’ll have opened the lines of communication with them and set a great standard as a parent. This might help them turn back to you whenever they develop issues at any age, giving you ample opportunity to guide them to be the best that they could be.
4. Develop a Routine
Finally, while you might already have a routine in place, it’s a good idea to come up with a new one. Since your child might have to wake up earlier and make some similar changes from this point, you need to have a routine that factors for this. Some of the adjustments you can make include preparing meals earlier and setting an earlier timeout for digital devices and media. This will allow your child to slow down towards the end of the day and fall asleep more easily. As a result, they’ll be better prepared to face the new day and get involved in their school activities. You might also need to adjust your routine a bit in order to accommodate these changes. In the end, it will all be worth it and you can be sure you’ll get an amazing outcome for both of you.
Use these four tips to prepare your child for preschool and make the transition bearable for them. This can help lower the likelihood of having your child resent school, which will improve their chances of excelling. Remember that it will take a lot of patience and practice in order to perfect. When everything works out in the end, you’ll realize that all your efforts were well worth it.
Alina David
