First Day of School by Amy Abraham

Your Child’s First Day of Preschool

It's the first day of real school for your child, and who's more upset about it...you or your child? I have a few helpful hints to hopefully make things a lot smoother for the both of you! Start with asking God to guide and watch over both you and your child. The first day of school can make a parent an emotional wreck. I have learned over my years of teaching it's harder for a parent to drop off a child than the child separating from the parent.

Prepare the night before

If you have things in order at your house the night before it will make your morning a lot less rushed, and it will give you more time with your child the next morning. Try to make time to sit at the breakfast table with him and encourage him about his day.  Another importing thing is to make sure he gets plenty of rest. When a child comes to school after a late night and being rushed the next morning, they usually have a crummy day. Be consistent. Don't go to bed early for one week then start going to bed later and later each night. Children react well to a schedule that is consistent! Feed them breakfast every morning and take a minute to sit and eat at the table with them. This would be a good time for you to talk about the great day he is going to have.

Encourage your child

Talk about all the positives that will happen at school. There will be toys. You will make lots of friends; your teacher is very nice, I'm very excited about all the neat stories you will be hearing. The more you encourage your child the more he will be excited about going to school each day. Remember he will be attending the school you chose for him, and it's a safe, loving place.  If you are worried about him feel free to call the school and check up on him. Parents call the school all the time to get a report about how their day is going.

 

Separation anxiety

 

When you get to school let your child walk to the classroom like a big boy. Let him know how proud you are of him for being so big. If he starts crying when you get to the room and wants to hang on to you, encourage him to play with a friend or with toys. The more you wait around the more he will get upset because he sees its upsetting you. I know it sounds crazy, but I see it all the time. Most of the time the separation anxiety is more with the parents than the child. If you have a child that is just hanging onto you and crying ask the teacher to help you and kiss them goodbye. Don't sneak out either, he will catch onto what you do when you drop him off and will want to cling to you even more. Don't be afraid to ask the teacher for help if you or the child are having separation issues. If you are encouraging to him, he will probably sit down with a friend, kiss you goodbye, and not think about you anymore until you come to pick him up.  Don't be late picking him up. If you tell him you will be there at a certain time, keep your word.  After naptime when parents are picking up their children, other children start wondering where is my mommy. 

 

Pick up time

 

When you get to school to pick up your child the first thing you should do is ask them about their day. Ask them questions about what they learned and who they played with. Encourage them by letting them know how excited you are to hear all about their exciting day. Remember to talk to the teacher in front of the child and praise her for loving on him. A teacher becomes very attached to her students, and when you praise the teacher in front of the child, it shows you trust her. Tell your child, "I like your teacher; isn't she nice?".  The more encouraging you are about school, the more he will be excited to attend. End the night with reading a story and encouraging him that he will be reading one day soon.  Say a prayer praising God for all his Glory and thanking him for watching over your child at school.

I am a preschool teacher and a mother of two beautiful children. My daughter is in 5th grade and my son is in Preschool. I hope this information is helpful to you. I pray you have a blessed school year. Remember it's always ok to ask your teacher anything no matter what it is. She isn't just there for your child, she is also there to support you!!!

Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart for it.  Proverbs  22:6