Now seriously, where does the time go? It only feels like yesterday that I was bringing home my first born from hospital, but fast forward three years and I’m suddenly finding myself sending my little Possum off to preschool. It’s quite hard to believe that we have reached this point already!
Despite all that, I was determined to be well prepared and implement some great routines that will have us ready for anything preschool could throw at us, bugs included.
Here are our tips on preparing your child for preschool, from our own experience.
- Talking positively about preschool prior to Possum arriving was very reassuring to her. It also opened up the opportunities for us to talk about what she could possibly expect from attending and air any concerns she might have.
- Visiting the preschool with Possum, prior to her start date, allowed her to become familiar with the classroom and playground environment and get to know her teachers.
- Reading lots of ‘back to school’ books were top of our priority in the weeks leading up to Possum starting preschool. We found they were a great tool for her to learn more about what she could expect from preschool and we simply borrowed them from our local library.
Get practical with preschool
- We used a permanent laundry marker to clearly name everything! Socks, underwear and any spare clothing that would likely go along to preschool were done. Hats, shoes and drink bottles also need to be clearly named. We also purchased some personalised labels, which you can simply iron onto clothing. Easy!
- Finding out what your child needs to bring to preschool is important and we wasted no time in finding out with the information pack we were given. You can very well imagine how a child would feel if they were the only one without a fruit snack or library bag.
- Be prepared for all those common childhood complaints. Something such as worms can easily be treated with Combantrin® chocolate squares . Having these available in the medicine cabinet will see you getting on top of any worm problem quickly, which will also reduce the risk of spreading to other children or family members.
- As part of our routine, I helped Possum set out all her clothing, shoes and bag (with all her required bits) the night before preschool. This would ultimately avoid any potential drama and keep things organised and calm in the morning.And finally…
- We decided to have a check list on the fridge of things that need to be done before leaving the house for preschool. It serves as a great reminder to apply sunscreen and not to forget to take out the snack box from the fridge and add it to the preschool bag.
And so preschool has begun and Possum absolutely loves it. She has settled in very well and we are like a well oiled steam train when it comes to preparing for preschool. I hope our tips are helpful to you.
I do believe that by preparing and implementing some good solid routines early, you and your child will look upon preschool positively. Don’t forget though, it’s important to do whatever works for your family and not be afraid to fine tune how you get things done.
What tips do you have for preparing your child for preschool?
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What a great post! I strongly agree with visiting the Kindy beforehand. We were allowed to visit over the weekends also (to play in the playground). My daughter was super familiar with the environment before she started – she was SO excited by the prospect of sharing it with new friends too!
Some Kindergartens will have an ‘open day’ before the first term starts – this is a great opportunity to connect with some other parents and even plan a playdate before they start – knowing a few of the other children and parents can help (both Mum & kids).
Louise x
Great tip Louise because the it can be as hard on parents as it can be on kids. Thanks for your comment. 🙂
We’ve just wormed all our kids this week – with the motto “worm one, worm all” LOL
It’s one of those things that people just don’t like to talk about, but it is SO COMMON once they start preschool/school and so easy to treat, so really I don’t know what all the fuss is about!
Absolutely agree with you Kate. 🙂
Yes, we have had our share of those chocolate squares too! We always have a stash ready LOL 🙂
Great post, Kate, loved your tips. And Possum is looking so grown up!!
Great advice. When my daughter started at her kindy we spent a week just going in for a couple of hours each day, it really helped her to slowly feel comfortable there without it being too overwhelming 🙂
Thanks for your comment Mumma McD. I totally agree. I know in myself I’m a lot more comfortable in places I’m familiar with. 🙂
oh my goodness, that cannot be your little possum!!! She looks so grown up heading off to preschool! Some great tips there Kate and thanks for the reminder about worming – been a little too long here so time to pull out those choccky squares again i think!
Great post. When we were little and were reluctant to be wormed, Mum used to threaten to tie us to a chair, put a delicious meal in front of us and hold our mouths open. She said the worms would be so tempted by the food, they’d come marching up out of our tummy, out our mouths and jump onto the food. And which option would we prefer? Marching worms or a small chocolatey square? Needless to say, we’d gulp the chocolate tasting little squares and munch them down! x
Great to hear Possum loves preschool. Being familiar with a new place and new situation always helps especially for small children, but also for mums to feel confident that their kids are in a safe and caring environment.
Great tips and such great photos! I don’t really have a tip… I think they’ve all bee covered. I guess mine would simply be, give them an extra big cuddle when you pick them up from their days in Kindy. Hold those moments for as long as you can.
I adore that Penny. That’s a great tip.
That’s a good idea to visit the preschool with your child before they start. That way they can get used to the idea of going there. Labeling everything sounds very practical. I’ll have to look into finding those iron on labels. It would make this a lot easier. Plus, I think the kids would like knowing that their name was on everything. It’s a chance to practice spelling it with them.
It’s amazing how accommodating preschools are with this sort of idea Nora! I guess it makes their role easier when it comes time for kids to start. 🙂
Thanks for your kind comment.
Your tips for preparing my child for preschool will really help this year. My son is starting his first day of preschool this August, so I need to help him feel more prepared for it. I liked your tip to say positive things about preschool before his first day. That seems like a great way to make him feel excited to go and make it a more enjoyable experience for him. Thanks for the tips!
Deanna you are more than welcome. It can be an overwhelming experience for children and parents. I’m so glad I helped. My experience as a teacher has really taught me those tips and I think they really can help make such a time much easier. Feel free to pop back in August and let me know how you go on. Best wishes. Kate
This is some great information, and I appreciate your point that visiting the preschool with your child beforehand is useful. My daughter is pretty timid in new situations, and I think dropping her off in a new place would be stressful for her. I’ll definitely look into visiting the preschool with her prior to her first day so she can familiarize herself with the setting. Thanks for the great post!
You are more than welcome Lillian. I’m glad the post was helpful. I think children understandably get anxious with the unknown and so a little visit to the preschool beforehand can make all the difference. Thank you for your lovely comments Lillian. Best wishes lovely.