Every beginning is difficult regardless of whether you’re a child or an adult. For children, kindergarten is a huge new step that will, without a doubt, seem daunting. Being separated from parents longer than ever before, being surrounded by new people – there’s a lot to get prepared for.
It’s your responsibility as a parent to help your child painlessly transition to kindergarten. If you’re wondering how to do that and how to make the transition smooth and your child ready for kindergarten, here are some tips that will help you out.
1. Let the child play
Playtime is the most important part of a child’s life because this is the time when they learn. Through playing children develop new skills both physical and motor, as well as language skills. If a child learns how to play at home, they won’t have a problem playing in kindergarten, too.
It’s also important for children to know how to play because through play they will also make friends and become social. Children who don’t know how to play will have trouble connecting with other kids, and that may present a problem once the child starts kindergarten.
2. Let your child play with other children
If you want this process of getting your child ready for kindergarten to be easier, you should let them make friends even before kindergarten. Let your child socialize with other children, observe how they interact and play, and share toys with other children.
If a child has already been socializing with other kids, they won’t have problems making friends at the kindergarten. On the other hand, children that have been sheltered and didn’t have as much contact with other children their age, will have trouble connecting with and making friends.
3. Visit the kindergarten
Before sending your child off to kindergarten, make sure you visit it together with your child. This is an important step in getting your child ready for kindergarten because you’re helping them get familiar with the place they’ll be spending time at without you.
Additionally, this is the perfect time for you both to meet the teachers and other kindergarten personnel. You mustn’t skip this step because this is what will help your child feel better about being left without you for the first time.
At St Ives preschool, they are aware that the adaptation process takes some time, and that it usually depends on the child. This is why they are ready to guide you as a parent through this process and to allow you to schedule a visit and together with your child see the kindergarten before the classes begin.
4. Teach your child to be independent
Since starting a kindergarten is such a huge change for your child, you should do everything you can to make it easy on them – and that includes teaching them to be independent.
At kindergarten, they will need to do certain things on their own – visit the bathroom, eat, get dressed, tie their shoelaces, and so on. If you don’t teach them how to be independent and take care of themselves before kindergarten, you may be doing them a huge disservice.
Not only will they be starting this new thing, but they will also be unprepared to face it on their own.
So, don’t be afraid to teach your kids to be independent, you’re in no way pushing them away from yourself, quite the contrary, you’re preparing them for life.
5. Establish everyday routines
Establishing consistent, everyday routines is what will help your child learn self-control, it will help them develop and grow. Additionally, routines help children feel safe and they also provide them comfort.
If you already have a normal, morning and evening routine with your child, it’s time to start slightly adjusting them so that transition to kindergarten is easier. For a child to get up earlier, they’ll need to go to bed earlier as well.
Adjusting your child’s both morning and evening routine will help them be more ready for kindergarten.
6. Teach your children to listen to other adults
Interacting with other children will help your child make new friends, however, you also need to teach your child to listen to other adults.
Tell them that when you’re not there, they must not give a hard time to their teachers and caretakers and that they must listen to what the teacher says. To help your child listen to other people, you should let them stay with their grandparents, aunts, and uncles. This way they will learn to listen and obey other adults as well.
7. Find a transitional object
A transitional object is any sort of physical object such as a toy, blanket, or whatever gives comfort to your child. It might be useful for your child to have this sort of object that will give them comfort and serve as a security blanket when the child feels sad or anxious.
Your child may already have their favorite stuffed animal that can help them with this whole process. If they don’t, it’s probably time to find one before they start kindergarten.
It’s completely normal for a child to need a bit of your help when they are starting kindergarten. Some children won’t have problems getting used to a new environment, being surrounded by other children and even being away from you. Others, however, may have a bit of difficulty adapting to this kind of change and that’s exactly why these tips can be very useful.
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