@aurelia7 Watch Daniel Tiger with him! Mine will be starting in August and we started touring preschools recently. We watch an episode of Daniel Tiger daily and I have really tried to focus on ones that deal with him going to school and interacting with his peers. I swear it has helped my daughter start grasping the concept of sharing and identifying emotions (like frustration and disappointment).
When we took her to tour preschools with us, we let her pick out a backpack and bring it along. No idea why she was really excited about this concept, but it did help her feel more comfortable. She had no issues with jumping in and playing with the other kids and interacting with the teachers while we toured places.
She hasn't started yet, so I'm in the same boat as you, but hoping that her reactions so far and talking to her a bunch helps.
@aurelia7 I don’t have advice on the actual school part but be prepared for your middle kiddo to be sad that big sibling is in school and they aren’t! My besties oldest started Kinder and little sister was so sad. They weren’t going to do pre-k with her initially but they are now because she wants to go!
@danial That’s what I thought! I remember when I was in kindergarten they even did AM/PM groups so it was a half day, so I was surprised when they told me the hours. (Un)luckily, my little guy dropped his nap super early so no worries there. The woman I spoke to noted they have an hour break in the middle of the day, so I assume that’s quiet/nap time
@aurelia7 Your daycare may need you to label supplies. Ask them in advance if they have a supply list. (Eg: needs bedding for Naptime, water bottle, extra shoes/clothes especially if there are water activities).
Stock up on children's Tylenol/Advil and make sure you have a working thermometer.
Try to hype it up! Make your kid excited for it and explain how fun it will be. If your kid is scared, let them bring something from home. Also, constantly reassure your kid that you'll be back to pick them up.
I would also make sure your kid sees you leave at dropoff so they aren't searching for you later. Make sure dropoff is short and quick.
@aurelia7 Ask the school for their readiness list. Ours has a pretty extensive list, including a few things that hadn't crossed my mind and that we'll be working on with my daughter to make sure she's properly ready.
@aurelia7 My son will be 3 in late sept. We have worked and introduced in abc’s, counting up to 20, animals, animal sounds, planets and the solar system, dinosaurs, motor skills like climbing on the playground ladders, slides and running, lots of preschool circle time songs etc. they don’t have to know these perfectly but introducing is nice so nothing is too foreign when he starts school.
@aurelia7 You’ve got a lot of good practical advice about increasing independence (getting his own water bottle etc) so I’ll recommend some prep you can do on the emotional and social side. I found it useful to talk to my kids (who are both in nursery) about other kids behaviour and encouraging them to understand why and how other kids behave differently from them. So if we’re at a soft play or the library or whatever we talk about what other kids are doing and why and how it makes them feel. There was a kid crying in the library the other day for example because he didn’t want to leave - we talked about how hard it is to leave and when we’re sad or angry we might cry.
This also helps give them the language to tell you a little more about their day. Was another kid upset, were they upset, what happened, etc. It just sort of opens the door to think with a bit of distance about how other people behave and helps them understand their own behaviour.
