A lot of parents struggle with the idea of sending their kids to preschool for the first time, especially if the child’s safety is their number one concern. There are, however, a number of things parents can do to better prepare their children for preschool so that you can feel more at ease and better ensure your child’s safety.
Teaching your children these skills is also important to make sure you are doing what it takes to be a great parent. Something to consider, however, is that the types of skills you can teach your children to prepare for preschool will differ depending on their age.
Enhance Communication Skills
Since children only start talking from about the age of one, making sure your child is prepared with information that they can communicate to their teachers, or to others, only really applies to children that are age two and older.
Parents can begin cultivating good communication skills among their children very early on so that when the time comes, they will already be great at listening and learning.
Toddlers
Important things that your toddler should know before heading off to preschool is what their own name is, their teacher’s name, and who should be dropping off, and collecting them from school. If they have a nanny that looks after them, it’s important for them to be able to say their name. Since toddlers aren’t able to write yet, you can include important information such as your phone number or street address on a piece of paper and teach your toddler where this paper is kept and why it’s important.Ages 4-5
If your child is a bit older, and is able to retain more information, then some of the important information they should know is, how to spell their own name, their parents’ names, their home address, and at least one emergency phone number. Something you can do to help your child remember their home phone number is to have them dial it into your phone a few times and eventually it should stick.
If your child has any allergies it is important that they know about it from a young age. A good idea is to display this information on a bracelet that the child wears at all times in case of an emergency or if the child is unconscious.
Encourage Independence
Encouraging your child to be independent can help them stay safe in many ways. You can encourage and teach your child to have basic self-care skills such as washing their hands before meals, wiping their nose, covering their mouths when they cough, opening snack foods, working a zipper and even putting on some of their own clothes.
Teaching your child to be independent at a young age allows you to feel more comfortable as a parent when you aren’t there to do those things for them. Your child will also then be more confident in their own ability to manage their own emotions in potentially stressful situations when you aren’t there to assist.
Teaching your child social skills can be very important before sending them into an environment that forces them to socialize with other children.
Some necessary social skills in a preschool environment include sharing, playing with others, and even dress-up games. Making sure that your child is ready for this type of play will help to keep them out of potential disagreements with other children where they could get hurt.
A good way to expose your child to social skills early on is through play-dates, playing at the park, or even group sports or music lessons.
Other types of good social skills include basic manners such as please and thank you. This will make sure that your child is welcomed and respected by other parents which will encourage more play-dates.
No matter the age of your child that is ready to go to preschool for the first time, it can always be a scary thing as a parent. Making sure that your child is prepared will give you the confidence you need to feel better about their safety.
Choosing a school that makes children’s safety a top priority, such as Parkland Children’s Academy, you can rest assured that you will be leaving your child in safe hands.