One down another one to go, that’s me of course. Zoe went to preschool last year and Miles will be going this year. Boys verses girls, first verses second, I’d say this year it’s going to be a breeze but my son is always able to surprise me at that last second with a total freak out of the third kind. But like I said, we did do this with one child already. My kids are in preschool as young as age 3 because they are little sponges. All little children are sponges that absorb everything you throw at them at this age. But anxiety can be hard for mom and child on their first day.
Zoe has always been quite attached to me and I was terrified of leaving her on her first day, but she was so excited to go she didn’t even want to give me a hug good by on her first day. BYE MOM! That’s all I got, maybe it’s because we spent all summer hyping her up.
So my first tip would be to get your child extremely excited about going to school. Pick out a stellar backpack, get a folder, a pencil, no they don’t need these things but it gets them really excited about going to school.
Make sure you go to the open house and meet the teacher. The more comfortable the kids feel in their classroom before you have to leave them there alone the better. I was really lucky last year because our neighbor was Zoe’s teacher so she was already in a familiar setting, but that didn’t mean that every day went smoothly.
Even if that first day goes well, be prepared for the DON’T LEAVE ME MOM meltdown on another day down the road. I actually had a few of those. On those days, I think Zoe was tired. Make sure your kids get a good night’s sleep on school nights. Sleep is so important to having a good day at school. So is a really good healthy breakfast.
Leaving Zoe on days where she was really clingy was hard. Sometimes I just left her crying, other times I gave her another hug and her teachers gave her a hug and then I snuck away. Other times, I tried to help her get into an activity like coloring. Then when she was busy I snuck away. They may be crying but once your gone they usually get over it quickly. Zoe was always fine within minutes after I left.
How have I prepared Miles?
He has an awesome backpack…. check
We’ve been hyping it up all summer….. check
We’re going to meet his teacher next week….check
My biggest concern is going to be when he realizes, Zoe isn’t in his class, and mommy isn’t staying. I’m a bit concerned but at the same time, I know he’s going to be fine. I think for him, if I don’t make a scene he won’t make a scene. If I just drop him off, give him a hug and a kiss, he’ll get right to play time. Of course, the worst part is going to be when I get home to an empty house. I’m not entirely sure how to deal with that.
I’m curious to know: What advice do you have for moms prepping for preschool? KinderCare will choose one lucky participant and make donation in their name to the Reach Out And Read chapter of their choice!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of KinderCare. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Contest Rules.
How Do You Prepare Your Child For Preschool? KinderCare #PreschoolPrep http://t.co/mx0zaAi via @MomStart