Many children struggle to adjust during their first few weeks of school. It can be frustrating and heart wrenching to leave your child sobbing when you leave them at school each morning. Over time, your child will adjust and even have a great time without you but here are a few tips on helping child adjust to preschool and make the transition a bit easier on both of you.
Helping Child Adjust to Preschool
Parents play an important role in helping their child grow. From reading to your children to allowing them to socialize, preschool offers a great platform for children to grow. That is why it is important for children to adapt well to pre-k education.
This article points out a few tips and tricks you can use to help your child adjust to preschool. The tips help to ease the separation anxiety and make it easier for both of you to move on with the next chapter of your child’s life.
Prepare Yourself for Leaving Your Child at Preschool
Children will often pick up on non-verbal cues, and they’ll sense your uncertainty and anxiety about the teacher, classroom or decision to leave him/her at school. The trick is to be confident and try to be calm. Preschool is a great place for your child to learn, develop and grow.
Create a Consistent Routine
Children like it when they know what to expect and what’s expected of them. They thrive on routine. Create a consistent morning routine. For instance, you can start by having breakfast, packing snacks and lunch, preparing for school, leaving home and greeting the new teacher before saying bye to each other.
Make a Prompt Departure
For the first few days, you can hang around a little longer to help your child feel comfortable and safe and help ease their anxieties about the new environment. Once your child has a few weeks under his/her belt, start saying your prompt goodbyes. Give your child a loving kiss or hug, assure them that they’ll have a good time and that you’ll be back with them shortly before leaving promptly. After a few days, your child will get accustomed to how the separation plays out. Avoid sticking around to comfort them as that only makes saying goodbye tougher.
Don’t Sneak Out
Sneaking out without saying goodbye with the hope of avoiding a meltdown or tearful farewell only makes the separation worse. The last thing you want is your child feeling tricked or abandoned. It also helps if they know what to expect, including a loving goodbye.
Involve the Teacher
Talk to your teacher about your child’s anxiety to leave you or reluctance about going to school. The teacher is likely to know how your child feels and will be ready to provide extra comfort and help you with the separation. Preschool teachers are highly experienced and well trained in dealing with separation anxiety and will often have activities ready for your child.
Bottom Line
Being away from a parent and starting school is often a tough transition for both children and parents. While kids will always adjust at their own pace, the tips mentioned on helping child adjust to preschool can come in handy. Think about creating a preschool checklist to also help you stay on track. Try to be patient, consistent and reassuring as that will help your child embrace a rewarding new experience.