It’s time for your little one to attend to preschool and you have no idea how to prepare for it. You may have heard from other parents that the transition for the first few weeks will be hard and stressful for both you and your child. Separation anxiety in children is a common thing and it’s nothing to be afraid of. There are ways to help children adjust to preschool and to make the transition easier for both of you.

Starting school is a big milestone for both kids and parents. Preschool offers a lot of benefits but it can be a bit difficult for children to leave the familiar safety of home. Some parents may also worry about whether their children are ready for school or not. Here are 8 tips to help you and your child adjust to preschool.

Have a Positive Attitude

Going to school for the first time is a big change in a family’s life. Remember to always stay positive. Children can pick up on your feelings, whether it’s positive or negative. So if you are having a hard time, your child will feel that way, too. Try to have the  mindset to be perky and excited. Pay attention to the way you talk about them going to school. If you sound nervous, your child will tune in to your feelings and not the words you’ve spoken. Portray a sense of calmness and confidence. Preschool is a wonderful thing to happen to kids. Let them grow, learn, and develop new memories with teachers and schoolmates.

Talk to your child about school

Introduce the idea of school to your child long before they’re ready for school. Introduce them other children who go to school. Show them the school bus and tell them stories about how much fun it is to ride in one. Tell them what they can do in school and how they can make lots of new friends and playmates there. Describe the playground and the new toys they can play with and so on. Talk about school as a positive place for them to go to. Don’t create a negative impression about school, otherwise, your child may not look at school in a positive manner.

A consistent routine is key

Having a consistent routine can create a sense of normalcy for every child. Make a consistent morning ritual and make sure that they have enough sleep the night before. Have breakfast together, pack lunch, help them prep for school, and leave home happily. At school, you can say hello to their teacher together before saying goodbye to each other.

Slowly and gradually phase out separation anxiety

Separation anxiety in children is common especially between the ages 1 to 3. Children tend to cling to their parents and cry out whenever they don’t see them near. When your child is already going to preschool, try to phase out separation. Most preschools allow the parents to stay with their children for the first few hours. Encourage your child to enjoy the new environment they are in. Children can become comfortable in 2-3 days time. Every child reacts differently, so depending on how they respond, you can gradually decrease the time you spend with your child. Leave them for half an hour, then an hour and so on. Make sure to pick your child up on time. This instills confidence in them that you are there whenever they may need you. If you can already see that your child is enjoying school without your company, try not to linger too long and go on to your other tasks.

Help ease your child’s fears

At a young age, children are still not capable of expressing their feelings in words. Try to be gentle and understanding. If going to school scares your child and they refuse to go, talk to them and make them understand how important school is. Talk instead of trying to force them.

Recall the second tip. Spend time having conversations with your child about school. Gradually introduce your child to the possible activities they will get to do in school. You can also let them play early with crayons and paper, this will make them comfortable when they see these things at school. To ease your child’s fear of unknown territory, visit the preschool classroom a few times before school starts. Meet with the teachers and  ask about common school activities and routines to prepare your child for what is ahead.

Let your child explore the new classroom and let them interact with other children. This will help them become familiar with this new environment. The more composed and calm you are with sending your child to preschool, the more confident your child will be going to school.

Saying goodbye helps

When leaving your child at school, do not sneak out. Don’t leave without saying a proper goodbye. You don’t want your child to feel abandoned when you sneak out, right? Avoiding a tearful farewell by not saying goodbye may be an idea you’d entertain but it will just impose a negative feeling to your child. Always include a loving goodbye and make it quick. If you are going to make a promise to return, be sure to be on time.

Stay connected

Always make time to bond with your child. Every day after school, have a special time to ask them about their day. Listen to what they have to say and interact.

Involve the teacher

Children need to feel connected to adults that they think will keep them safe. When they are in school, the immediate adult they have in their environment is the teacher. Help your child bond with the teacher. Experienced teachers can help children ease the transition from home to school. They can assign a special job to the child so that they can feel more connected, like they have a role to play each day. Teachers have a lot of effective strategies in their arsenal for helping young kids adjust in school. Your child will learn to trust their teacher when you show that you trust them, too.

When it’s time for your child to go to school, make sure to prepare early. Let them get a good night’s sleep so that they will have the energy to do fun activities in school. Preparing early  will help your child adjust to preschool quickly. Follow the tips mentioned above for an easy transition of this big change. If you are looking for a good preschool for your child, check out this daycare in Colorado Springs.

It’s August, summer is finally coming to an end and the new school year is right around the corner. Time for  parents and students all over the country to start their back to school preparations. Whether your children look forward to this event or they dread the regimented school days ahead, one thing is for sure – back to school entails another big transition. Help your kids cope with the biggest adjustments and make those first weeks of school easier for them with the following tips:

Start talking about the upcoming school year

Before summer break ends, find opportunities to talk to your child about the upcoming school year. Instead of allowing them to dwell on the post-holiday blues, get them excited about going back to school. Think of the things your child will love about school. It could be spending time  with friends, having time to play with other kids, or about a subject they are interested in? Highlight these topics during your conversation so that they’ll have something to look forward to.

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As a teacher, I’ve always told the parents that I interact with that I am here to work with them as a teammate. I want to see their child succeed and I want to work along side the parent to make sure there is consistency on behalf of the child. Having a successful parent-teacher partnership holds some important value, as well.

According to PBS, having a positive parent-teacher relationship can lead to success in school. It shows that your child can trust his teacher, because you do. Now I get it, there will be times when you don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye with your child’s teacher; but we both still want that end goal of success in school. So what can we do?

Here are some steps to make sure the parents and the teachers are all a part of one team.

1. Communication: This step easily creates a gateway of opportunities for success. I like to tell myself “if you don’t ask, you won’t receive”. If I need to know something in order to benefit my student (for example, their schedule), I need to ask in order to get my information. I would like to think that the same goes for the parents, as well.

If the parent wants/needs to know details about what is going on in school, or maybe the parent wishes to talk about options regarding optimal learning, the parent needs to approach the teacher. There are many communication styles available these days; from email, phone calls, conferences, and messaging, the team is bound to find a mode of communication that works best for them.

2. Relationships: According to guidance counselor, Linda Lendman, “this is one of the first relationships with an adult your child may have outside of the family unit.” This means that you are helping your child build a skill of learning how relationships work, develop, and unfold.

Come to this parent-teacher relationship with respect and watch how your child’s relationship with their teacher develops. You child spends a lot of time in the classroom, and you want them to have a positive experience, without possible negative predispositions about the adult role model in the room.

3. Remember your own experiences: Think on your own elementary experiences and I am sure you will remember teachers you both liked and disliked. Try and keep that in mind when working with your child’s teachers. When your child is in a class with someone you connect with, that is a great set up for a positive parent-teacher relationship!

However, if you find yourself not necessarily agreeing with the teacher, take a step back and remember the goal: success in a positive school environment. Remember to respectfully ask for what it is you want/need on behalf of your child. Understand that there will always be people you and your child won’t agree with, but how are you going to use this as a learning opportunity in fostering positive/meaningful relationships.

I truly hope these steps help you find peace in knowing that successful parent-teacher relationships are attainable. This relationship will take attention, time, and work, just like any other but it can be so rewarding in the benefits your child will see. As a teacher, I want you to know that we are all in it together, we’re a team!

~Ms. Caitlin
Wellness Coordinator
Lead Floater

Often we have no clue where to start this conversation about diversity, or maybe we just don’t and push it aside. It’s okay to be afraid to have this conversation, but get informed, buckle up, and do it.

Do some research on things that you may not know so much about; such as languages or specific disabilities. This can also be a great educational time for you as well. You do not want to send your children out into the world not knowing how to perceive others in a respectful manner. We want our children to have an understanding of cultural differences and be accepting of all.

This is a tender topic that may put the same kind of pressure on as having the birds and the bees’ conversation, but if we want to grow children with a deep understanding of inclusion, then we have to have these uncomfortable conversations.

Here are some easy ways to help get the message to your preschooler:

• It’s okay to have conversations about diversity. If you child has a question, then answer them. They are not trying to be rude. It is better that you explain what they are asking so that they have the correct information.
• Reading diverse books daily will have an impact all its own. Making it a regular habit of seeing all kinds of people doing all kinds of things will make an impact.
• Look for other intentional learning moments. Take your children to events or festivals to learn more about others.
• Be specific when telling children how to refer to others. Always use that person’s name. Avoid using labels and making that apart of their language at all.
• Be all inclusive even if you do not celebrate certain things. Talk to your children about all holidays, religions, race, disabilities, sexual orientation, and types of families. Do this in a way that you are comfortable with, but let them know that the world is more than what they see, and that it is not black and white.
• Find a balance of differences and similarities in your lives. It is important to build upon similarities to create empathy. If they can relate they are less likely to discriminate. It is important to point out the differences as well to expand your child’s mind, not keep them in their box of what is “right” or “normal”.
• Ask open ended questions such as: “what made you notice that?”

Accept that you child will say things at some point or another that will totally embarrass you; try to realize that they are not trying to be hurtful they just don’t know. That is where you will swoop in with your newly learned skills to lead them in the right direction.

Model these inclusive behaviors and use appropriate language. Children are very observant. They are listening to what you are saying. They look up to you, and if you say it then they will think it is okay for them to say as well.

~Ms. Brooke
Lead Pre-K Teacher
Early Literacy Coordinator
Curriculum Coordinator