5 Tips for Getting Your Child Ready for Pre-School

Getting your child ready for preschool is at once an exciting and daunting proposition. For many parents, it’s the first time that they get to help their child achieve a degree of independence that takes place outside of the house. The moment you drop your child off at that preschool door is also the first in a very long series of goodbyes that parents must endure as they help their child achieve self-actualization. 

Too much? The kid is, after all, just going in for a few hours with crayons, the alphabet, and a room full of other tykes that still consider biting to be an acceptable form of communication. 

And yet this small step is also a decisive one, beginning your child’s journey into a world of independent learning and thought. It’s a big deal. Your job is to help them handle the transition with all the grace that a three-year-old is capable of (and try not to get misty-eyed while you do it!). 

In this article, we take a look at five tips that will help you get your child ready for preschool. 

Tip 1: Start Mandating School-Appropriate Behavior Early

Come close. Closer. A little closer. We only want you to hear this. Ok, are you ready? Three-year-olds are little animals. 

Well, sorry. But it’s true. And not just in the very little Darwinian sense that we are all, in fact, animals. They bite. They scream when they don’t get their way, and they will put just about anything in their mouth. 

Of course, preschool teachers are more or less privy to all of this and there’s little chance that your child will display a behavior they haven’t seen before. 

Still, you do want to make sure that your child is in such a state as to enter preschool in a productive and collaborative capacity. 

In fact, that’s what most preschool teachers are looking for in their incoming students. They just want kids who know how to resolve conflicts and listen reasonably well to instructions. So make sure your kid fits the bill. 

In the months leading up to preschool, work on equipping your child with skills they will need to be effective in school. Help them handle their feelings in a school-appropriate way, and understand the consequences of acting out in the classroom.

Not only will this help them have a more effective learning experience, but it may also make it easier for them to adjust to the slightly different expectations that most schools require. 

Tip 2: Introduce Them to Preschool Concepts

This actually isn’t as necessary as many parents seem to think it is. It’s great when a three-year-old knows shapes and the alphabet, but most preschool teachers really just want a classroom full of kids who can sit still enough to learn a thing or two throughout the day. 

Still, you can give your kid a head start by introducing them to early literacy concepts. Fortunately, this can be a fun and easy experience that both you and the child are sure to enjoy. Early literacy skills are mostly just about exposure. 

So,  read stories with them. Take them to youth events at your local library (it definitely has them. You’ll probably be shocked by how often). Even watch the occasional educational video. Young brains are like sponges, sopping up everything they come into contact with. Send them to school with a headful of stuff that will help them be productive. 

Tip 3: Socialize Them

This is sometimes easier said than done. If your child doesn’t have any cousins and you don’t have friends with age-appropriate children, there aren’t always naturally occurring opportunities for socialization.

Fortunately, there should be many opportunities for peer interactions that occur naturally within your community. For example, the park. Go to any park playground on a nice day at around 10 in the morning and you will surely encounter an entire entourage of three-year-olds. 

Libraries are also great places for peer interactions. The events that they provide are usually age tailored to suit the exact needs of your child, and they can provide a classroom-like experience that will help your child acclimate to what is to come. 

Remember that early socialization isn’t necessarily about making a best friend. It’s about developing the social skills required to share a space with other people. 

Tip 4: Work on Separation Anxiety

For some children, preschool is the first experience in which they have to say goodbye to their parents for a prolonged period of time. It’s a nerve-racking experience that can make them feel anxious and insecure. 

While a degree of separation anxiety is natural, it can quickly become disruptive to the learning process. You can help your child avoid feelings of anxiety and distress by acclimating them to the idea of separation early. 

Make sure they understand that you will not be with them during preschool. Maybe even arrange for the occasional playdate or babysitting experience. The more prepared they are for the adjustment, the easier time they will have getting used to school. 

Tip 5: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Your child may not be showroom ready when the fall finally rolls around. That’s ok. Your preschool teacher isn’t expecting perfect. They work in a room where all of their students may not even be fully potty trained, so they are pretty used to the complications of working with humans at this still very undeveloped stage of life. 

Just making an effort will have a big impact on your child’s school readiness. Work with them on the things described above, but don’t worry if they aren’t completely “ready,” for school. Your job as a parent is to do as much as you can at home, and let the teacher worry about the rest. 

Education truly is a collaborative effort. The fact that you are willing and ready to take an active role in your child’s education will have a significant impact on their learning. So just relax. You’ve got this, and so does your kiddo.