How to Get Your Kiddo Ready For Preschool

How to Get Ready for Preschool

Summer heat is cranked up to eleven here in New York, but that doesn’t mean fall—and the Back to School season that goes along with it—isn’t right around the corner! The thing that’s always frustrated me is that every year, we hear so much about sending our little ones back to school (obviously important!) but really not much about sending them off for the very first time.

Preschool is wildly important. Early education has proven to be a huge factor in terms of your child’s successes later in life—but it also helps them to learn independence, social skills, cooperation, and many, many other important things. Still, so many little ones freak out when the moment comes for Mom or Dad to drop them off at the gate on that first day. Separation anxiety is completely normal, but there are some things you can do to help make that first day more fun and less fraught.

1. Take your child to visit the preschool ahead of time so she can meet the teachers, see where she will hang her jacket, and hear about some of the fun things she’ll do there. That way, when you take her for the first day, she won’t be walking into a completely unfamiliar environment.

2. If you know other, slightly older children in the neighborhood who attend preschool, or who have graduated onto Kindergarten, get them together with your child to talk about what preschool is like. Knowing that a slightly older child that your little one looks up to did it will likely make your child more eager to get on the preschool train.

3. Prep during storytime. There are so many wonderful books out now that help get kids excited for preschool. Some of my favorites include Llama Llama Misses Mama, Daniel Goes to School, and Fancy Nancy: JoJo’s First Day Jitters. All of these books can help your child understand that not only will you come to get them at the end of the day (you’re not going away forever!) but also that they’ll have a lot of fun once they get the hang of things.

What are your best tips for getting ready for preschool? Share in the comments!