You’ve reached the kindergarten finish line! For many parents, sending their child to school for the first time is a bittersweet moment. You’re proud of your little one, but you might also feel a bit sad that they’re growing up so fast and will now have less time to spend with you. But if you want your child to thrive in their first year of school, it’s important to keep some things in mind.
Here are four tips to help make the transition a little bit easier:
- Prepare your child. Before the first day of school, talk with your child about what to expect on the first day and throughout the year. You may want to ask them what they think their favorite part will be, or what they are most looking forward to learning about in class. You can also discuss how they might feel during this big change in their life and how they might handle it. Prepare yourself too — know what to expect from your child once he or she starts school and how best to support them along the way.
- Ask questions. During orientation meetings and throughout the year, ask questions until you feel confident that your child is getting everything he or she needs at school — academically and emotionally. If something seems off or not quite right, don’t be afraid to voice those concerns; after all, you and your child are both stakeholders in this important relationship!
- Talk about how much fun they will have at school. Talk about the things they’ll learn, and how much fun it will be when they get home from school every day. Make sure they know that you’re proud of them!
- Make sure they have their supplies ready to go the night before their first day of school — and make sure you know where everything goes! That way there won’t be any last minute scrambling around trying to locate missing items or supplies when everyone else has already arrived and gotten settled.
