Preparing Your Child for Kindergarten

You know your child best. You know what makes him or her happy, sad, and excited. Keep your child's personality in mind as you prepare him or her for a new school experience in kindergarten.

• Talk to your child about his or her upcoming experience in kindergarten. Read to your child about stories relating to a child's first day at school and how the experience turned out. Involve your child into the story so he or she feels the first day at school will be a fun adventure versus a negative or scary experience.
• Listen to your child's emotions. Understand that this is a big day and try to play it down to a day with a different stage in your child's life. Reassure your child that you will be very happy to hear of his or her day when you go to pick him or her up at the school. Children become apprehensive his or her parent will not pick them up. Let your child know that you will be there that first day and he or she will always have someone to pick him or her up and listen to the new things he or she have done.
• Keep a camera handy when the first day of kindergarten comes around. Those photos will be priceless as your child continues to grow into his or her adulthood. Use the photo(s) as a happy tool in the event your child becomes sad that he or she has to go back again to kindergarten. Remind your child of the happy experience.
• Visit in advance with your child once you have decided your child's new pre-school. Talk to your child's new care providers and let you child meet them in advance of his or her first day at pre-school. The meeting with the care providers and new children may make the first day of his or her first day less scary.
• Help your child with writing his or her name and home address. This exercise will get your child used to knowing these tasks when he or she goes to school. The writing will help your child see his or her name in print and will help him or her get excited about accomplishing new things.
• Maintaining a healthy nutrition for your child will help him or her in school. Purchasing a new lunch pail or bag and having your child decorate it with his or her name will bring enthusiasm to his or her first day.

Preparing your child and yourself can be frightening. Think and act positively and comfort your child's fears of embarking of his or her first day at school. This day will be the first of many days to come in developing your child's personality and character for his or her school experience.