How to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten: Do’s and Don’ts

Preparing a child for kindergarten

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One of the biggest concerns that parents have is kindergarten. This is a new phase in the parent and the child’s life. The only question is how to prepare your child for kindergarten? Here are some steps for you and your child’s kindergarten preparation.

Psychological preparation.

The first step to kindergarten preparation is to start talking to a child about kindergarten in advance. When going to a playground or to favorite places of a child, tell a little one that it is also as interesting as kindergarten. There, a child can find friends to play, dance, sing, draw, and simply have fun with. You need to talk about this place and mentally prepare a kid for what awaits there.

For instance, “In kindergarten, you will have your own locker, where you will keep your things.” “There will be children you’ll be playing and going for a walk with.” Try to turn going to kindergarten as something fun and exciting. The little one will be waiting for the day they can go there.

Introduce a child to new kids and adults so that it can get the idea that it can have fun with other people as well. Also, you can try leaving a kid for a few hours with relatives or friends so it can learn to stay with other people without crying its eyes out. This helps them make the transition to kindergarten smoother as they are already accustomed to being away from home.

Slowly and smoothly increase the time you are staying apart from your child.

Before actually preparing a child for kindergarten, you cannot just leave a child in an unknown place for a whole day. It is extremely stressful for a little one. The first time being apart from you leave a kid with someone whom you trust for 30 minutes or an hour.

When time is up, ask the kid if it wants to go home. In case it asks to stay longer, just give it some more time to play. In days to come, gradually increase the time you are away, up to a whole day, taking into consideration how the child feels in a group.

In some cities, there are establishments where you can leave children at a young age, somewhere around 1.5 years old, with a nanny up to 3 hours a day.

Surround them with favorite things.

During the adaptation period in kindergarten, let a child wear clothes it likes the most with favorite cartoon characters and colors. Bring a favorite toy as security for them. If it is not allowed, just say that you can leave it in a locker. It will make this unfamiliar place a little warmer and more comfortable for a child.

Showing interest in activities in kindergarten

When picking a child up from a kindergarten, ask not only about the food it ate but also about activities, funny moments with friends, and other things. You can even say that you envy a child, saying that your day was not as interesting.

Here are a few things to remember:

Before parting, tell a kid when you will pick it up. Remember, that hours and numbers on the watch do not mean a thing to a kid. Mark the time with actions and events. For instance, “Right now, you will stay with your friend, then play a little, go for a walk, have a meal, and after this, I will pick you up.”
Also, before leaving them, emphasize what you are going to do after kindergarten, “We will go for a walk in the park, watch some cartoons at home or play with your favorite toy.” It will help the child’s sadness subside.

Make sure to explain that while mommy and daddy are away, other adults will be looking after them. It will be a plus to tell a kid how kind these people are. Listen to what your child has to say about kindergarten. Small kids are not very good at retelling their day in detail; therefore, they use games to learn about their day. For instance, you can ask a child to draw its friends and nanny. Frankly, you can learn a lot from the drawings based on colors a kid uses, forms, and general mood.
You should remain calm, positive, and be supportive of a kid during its adaptation period. This is how a child will feel your support and will, no doubt, like the kindergarten you have chosen.

Waking up a kid

Waking up a child is a very delicate process. Try making it calm and tender, so that a kid has only positive emotions. You can also cook something delicious so that when a little one opens its eyes, a nice smell from a kitchen will make their day better.
It is preferable to wake up a kid a little bit earlier so that it could get through its morning routine in no rush. Use the simple method of multiplying by two the time you typically spend on the morning routine.
After the kid waking up, you can lightly massage the child’s body to charge a little one with cheerfulness. Teach a kid to stretch in bed.

Don’t wake up a child like this!

To avoid tantrums and crying after waking up a kid, don’t:

Turn on blinding bright lights.
Speak in a sharp and bossy tone.
Turn on loud music or an alarm sound.
Wake a child up in a hurry and rush them while they are still trying to wake up. Don’t rush the routine they have developed.

Do you get the ideas to prepare a child for kindergarten? Check out our other related articles.

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Liliana

Liliana is a Licensed Montessori teacher known for her passion and dedication to education. She's been a teacher in the United States for many years, and she truly believes that education is the key to making the world a better place because today's students are tomorrow's leaders. Her experience with Toddlers, Beginners, VPK with Montessori methodology approach; Kindergarten, and first grade made her an authority and trusted resource. Liliana's family taught her important qualities like love, a positive attitude, strong motivation, and leadership. These values have guided her on her journey to becoming a professional and expert teacher. Her mission is to help children grow and contribute to a brighter future for the country.