Getting Ready for Preschool
Our third little love is starting preschool.
It’s easy to think that, because she’s seen her big brother and sister move through preschool that she knows exactly what to expect and what is expected of her.
In the year prior, when she would have been walking though the halls each afternoon at pick up, meeting teachers and getting to know the routines of her preschool sibling, she was instead waiting patiently at the gate or even in the car right outside, while I slipped out to do a swiftly arranged covid-safe pick up.
Preschool is a familiar yet unfamiliar place.
Like her big brother or sister, she still needs to be prepared, rather than thrust into her new world (of leaving the familiarity of home to make new friends, enjoy new spaces and learn to trust the new familiar faces of her teachers).
Some things to help prepare children for preschool -
🌟 Get fully toilet trained
Miss #3 has been toilet trained day (and night unlike her siblings) for over a year, but still prefers the assistance of a parent when it comes to cleaning up (aka wiping her bottom).
We have been working on this since the beginning of December, and mid January we are now feeling (fairly) confident.
Note: For a boy, sitting down on the toilet to wee is totally fine. The great thing about the communal bathrooms at preschool is that boys can learn to do a standing up wee at a toilet that is actually proportionate to their height... and you don’t have to deal with the mess! Win!
If you have a boy who needs to completely take his pants off to wee, the summer in the lead up to preschool is a good time to practise pulling pants down, but not completely off. (Same goes for any child who likes to toilet in the nude 😉)
If you’re looking for some toilet training tips, see my post The Down-Low on Toilet Training
🌟 Get preschool things ready together
Go through the items needed for preschool together and label them! This is a great talking point and helpful to get them interested in their name and own personal items (that you want them to take responsibility for)
It can be fun to go through their clothes and stamp all the preschool appropriate* clothes together.
*Preschool appropriate means clothing that is sun smart/covers the shoulders and can get dirty/be played in (eg bike pants under a dress for climbing etc). Shoes are ones that are covered - sandals or runners with socks (these should be labelled too!)
✨ This helps them develop an understanding of the things they will be able to wear to preschool ie NOT party dresses/best clothes and empowers them to make choices in these early days.
🌟 Go through their ‘kit’ of things
ie their backpack
Spend some time getting them used to their preschool items and how they are packed into the bag - make it fun! Play the game “find me your...”
Helpful things to practise prior to preschool include -
Identifying own backpack - look for pattern/colour/tag/key ring
Opening and closing zippers
Getting drink bottle in and out of holder
Identifying what goes into which pockets
Eg front pocket - spare clothes, wet bag
Main part of bag - lunch box, morning tea bag, sheet bag (for rest time)
✨ This promotes independence and makes children feel confident in getting what they need, when they need it
Identifying water bottle and in particular, finding the name label (in case others have the same drink bottle)
Taking shoes on and off
🌟 Discuss preschool mornings and getting ready
If you want to begin the road to having a child who gets ready (relatively) independently, it begins now!
THIS time is the groundwork for school (PREschool).
Discuss your expectations of what your preschooler’s ‘jobs’ will be on a preschool morning eg eating breakfast, getting dressed, tidying room, checking bag and brushing teeth/going to the toilet.
Tip: Try creating a basic flip down chart that can guide them through the morning. I made ours simply using a manilla folder, scissors, printed clip art (laminated) and stuck some Velcro dots to open and close it… photo to come!
✨This gives children a sense of achievement and helps them engage in a purposeful morning, without nagging and yelling on your part (well, that’s the aim!)
The chart is the one directing them, not you.
When it comes to preparing for preschool, some of these things are done together over time and others just take a little session for your preschooler prior to starting to help them feel more ready and ease for what’s ahead.
Remember, your little person will feel more settled and able to trust their preschool teachers if you show that youare settled and trust their teachers.
This is communicated to them particularly at drop off. Let them know that you will be back at the end of the day, with a happy face. This puts their little heart more at ease.
For some of us, this actually takes a lot (and potentially some acting skills), but is worth the effort.
Have fun getting your little person ready for a year of adventure and fun as they perhaps start to venture out of the only nest they’ve known... and enjoy a bit of difference in your day too!
Well done! X