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Preparing your child for the preschool
Bringing up kids can be a blissful and confusing experience. Blissful for those who keep themselves tuned to new age parenting but confusing for those who are not able to handle the tantrums of the kids. There is no such parenting guide that gives readymade solutions to individual problems but some handy and useful tips that can help you to sail through the crisis smoothly.
First of all one needs to identify the reason underlying the specific behaviour. If you are able to observe, reflect and find out why the child is behaving in a particular manner, half the problem gets solved then and there. For example – the child’s tantrum, attention seeking behaviour, defiance, back talk, dawdling etc. Similar kind of behavior is observed when a child goes to school. So it is necessary for the parents to prepare the child for preschool.
There can be number of ways to handle the same.
Use pretend play to explore the idea of preschool. For this the parent can take turns being the child and the educator. You can act out the common daily routines such as – having warming up sessions, circle time, playing outside, story- telling sessions, clean up activity, use of magic words etc. Thereby you can reassure your child that preschool is a good place where he / she will have fun and learn.
Develop a game for practicing self help skills. These skills include buttoning and unbuttoning, putting on back pack, fastening shoe laces. For example you can have a race with your child to see how quickly he / she can put on the shoes. When you play school together you can give your child the chance to practice zipping the bag pack close, hanging the bag pack, opening the lunch box etc.
Provide a structure in which a proper daily routine should be followed every day so that the child gets used to it. It includes the morning routine, after school routine and bed time routine (Develop a habit in your child that your child goes to bed on time). Setting appropriate goals. As a parent set goals for your child that are age appropriate. Don’t pursue perfection as it may lead to frustration in both, you and your child.
Eating habits. As a parent inculcate good and healthy eating habits in your child. It is important to have meals at a fixed time and with the whole family. As it is rightly said that “A family that eats together stays together”
Minimize your own anxiety as a parent- It is normal for you to feel anxious, when you see your child upset on the first day. sometimes you may see that other children are well settled and happily playing where as your child is clinging to you. But always remember that may be your child will adjust to his/her new classroom eventually.
Answer any lastminute question/s of your child- Let your child know that its normal to feel happy, sad, excited, scared and worried. Listen all his worries and allow your child to share his/her feeling then only you can help him/her how to deal with them. Answer all his questions. To bring him to comfort zone.
Atlast have faith in the educator and school you have chosen for your child.
Happy parenting!!