Back to School Transition Tips for Preschoolers (and their parents!)

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backtopreschool

Back to school gives me so much anxiety.

I often think I am more nervous than my daughter is.

Now that the summer is winding down and we are approaching another first day of school I thought it would be a good idea to share some Back to Preschool Tips that help me my daughter on her first day at school.

1.) Routine, Routine, Routine

This is a big one at my house. During the summer, our routines went out the window! We didn’t eat breakfast, get dressed nor brush our teeth on any sort of schedule. So our routines are starting now! Knowing what to expect or what will be happening next is so important for my daughter.

2.) No More Being Tardy

The transition is hard enough in the morning, while getting ready and trying to get out the door. Running late and rushing through the transition is always a recipe for disaster at my house. We like to pick out our outfits the night before so we don’t have any wardrobe-battles in the morning. So getting ready early and getting in the car early is best bet. Besides if you are early to the school, having a pep-talk in the parking lot is always a good idea to pass the time.

3.) Open Communication

During my first drop-off experience with my daughter, I did the whole slip away thing while the teacher was grabbing my crying baby into class. Let me tell you…that was AWFUL. My biggest suggestion is to “talk it out” with your child. I wish I had more conversations with her about me leaving to go to work and that the teachers were going to keep her safe and she will have fun. I think it is important that the kids have clear expectations of the events that are going to happen rather then have any surprises.

4.) Role-play

My three-year-old is the expert in pretending and role-playing (all day long)! So why not use her amazing imagination to role-play the first day of school. We pretend we get in a car and drive to school, then “act” the whole drop-off scenario. This makes it fun and prepares her little mind of what the future events are going to be like.

 Being prepared is what helps cool our anxiety for the first day back at pre-school. What do you do to help prepare for the big day? 

Don’t forget to take lots of pictures, too! 

Happy Back To School!