Child Starting Preschool? 4 Helpful Tips to Follow
Is your child going to be starting preschool soon? If so, you may feel a bit overwhelmed by this upcoming change. Here are some helpful tips to follow that will help with the transition.
Tour Multiple Facilities Before Selecting One
Every preschool is going to be different in terms of what services they will offer to your child. That is why it is so important to tour several daycare facilities before deciding on which one to go with. When you tour a daycare, take notes about things that are impressive and any concerns you may have. This can make it easy to compare each daycare before you need to make a final decision.
Discuss Your Child's Dietary Needs
Many children these days are on special dietary needs that your daycare provider needs to know about. For instance, your child may have a peanut allergy that needs to be taken into consideration. Ask about how the preschool deals with these food allergies during snack time if it is a concern to you.
Some parents prefer that they supply their own food for their children during the day, especially if they are big on organic foods or avoiding sugar. This something you'll want to ask about prior to signing up your child, since the preschool may have restrictions about what food is brought into the facility. For example, a daycare may not allow you to bring in your own food because of cross contamination that can impact children with food allergies.
Read Books Together About Preschool
The transition to daycare can be just as hard for your child to go through. The first day of daycare shouldn't be a surprise, since it should be something that you talk about with them well in advance. Start reading books together that talk about starting preschool. Your child will get an idea about what it is like, and have realistic expectations for when they finally start attending.
Avoid Rushing the Drop Off the First Couple Days
Dropping a child off at preschool those first few days will be rough for you and your child. It is a good idea to give yourself extra time in the morning for drop off. There will likely be lots of hugs that will be given, and your child may need extra time being eased into their new environment before you leave for work. Know that you will eventually be able to do quick drop offs once school is something they are excited about.