Last year we enrolled my fourth (and last) child in daycare two days a week. He has a birthday late in the year, so this year he will start Junior Kindergarten (equivalent to preschool in the States) when he is just 3 years old! All of my other kids were at least 4 when they started, so I wanted to make sure Griffin had a lot of preparation.
Since he has been a Mommy’s and Daddy’s boy right from the beginning, I knew it was going to be tough to get him started. We bought him his own special backpack and talked about all of the fun things he would do when he got there. I allowed him to choose his special toys, blankets, snacks or whatever else he wanted to bring each day, and I gave him hugs and kisses and assurances that I would be back each day.
And he cried. A lot.
He took a little longer to adjust to his days away, which I think was compounded by the fact that he only went twice a week so he had a lot of time inbetween. Once he did adjust though, he loved going and wanted to go even more often! He has been home all summer and will start Junior Kindergarten in just two weeks. I am sure this transition will be easier, but still a bit of a challenge since he will go to a new school.
To get ready, we have been practicing his alphabet and colours and shapes. We have atttempted to work on sitting quietly, but that is not one of his strengths, and I am sure I will get feedback from his teacher about it. Thankfully we have mastered potty training, and he’s doing fairly well at getting himself dressed and undressed (hopefully he doesn’t undress at school, although I wouldn’t rule it out), but we have a lot of work to do on getting along with others.
To make the idea of school fun, we have bought him another new backpack and lunch bag and got him a few new school clothes. We talk about his friends that will be there, and how he will see his brother and sister at recess, and so far he seems excited. I will let you know how well it worked in a couple of weeks!
I’m curious to know: What advice do you have for moms prepping for preschool? KinderCarewill choose one lucky participant and make donation in their name to the Reach Out And Readchapter of their choice!
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