Prep a Preschooler for the First Day of School
What Does a Child Need to Start School?
Sending a child to school for the first time can be nerve racking for both the parent and the little one. Knowing what to do to get ready, and what to avoid can make the transition much easier.
What to Buy Ahead of Time
- A small child sized backpack: Buying the first backpack is often a rite of passage. Let the child be involved in choosing the pack to help get him excited for school. The backpack should be small enough to fit on the child’s shoulders without falling off, but big enough to hold a sweater, crafts or even a lunch box.
- Pants that can be pulled down and pulled up easily by the child: As most schools require that a child be potty trained, he needs to be able to handle the task by himself. Being able to take care of his own clothing will make him more at ease.
- Shoes that don’t need to be tied: The preschool teacher doesn’t necessarily want to be spending all her time tying shoes. Save her the trouble and buy Velcro or slip on shoes for the child.
Mental Preparation
- Take the child on a tour of the school and have him see his future classroom and meet the teacher, if possible.
- Talk to him. Discuss any fears he may have about school while assuring him that all of his feelings are normal.
- Introduce the routine. About a week before school starts begin to get your child up at the time he will need to awaken for school days. Start to help him pick appropriate clothing to wear.
- Socialize him. If the child hasn’t been around other kids very often, take him to public parks, the library or enroll him in an activity that will allow him to be around children his own age.
Helpful Reading
If your child is apprehensive about starting school, read some books together that deal with those issues. Some books that might be helpful are Franklin Goes to Schoolby Paulette Bourgeois [olastic Paperbacks, 1995], The Berenstain Bears go to School by Stan and Jan Berenstain [Random House Books for Young Readers, 1978], and I Don’t Want to Go to School by Stephanie Blake [Random House Books for Young Readers, 2009]. Read the books with your child and talk about how she feels.
Develop a Good Bye Ritual
Having a “Good-Bye” ritual that is performed between the parent and child at every separation will make the transition to leaving her at school that much easier. This can be specific to every family. Start the ritual well before school starts to make it something familiar for the child. Some examples are:
- Whispering the same saying in their ear every time.
- A certain pattern of hugs and kisses shared between parent and child such as giving two hugs, two kisses, then two more hugs.
- A “kissing hand”. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn [Tanglewood Press, 2006] is a sweet book that will let children know that they are being loved and thought of throughout the day. In the book, the baby raccoon is given a kiss in his hand by his mother. She reminds him that the kiss will be with him at school and always, until they see each other again.
Taking the time to prepare children for preschool will help them to have a better experience and transition away from the parent more easily. Is an older sibling going to kindergarten or a new school also? Help them get ready too.
References: Babycenter
Backpacks are an Essential School Item
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