Tips for Making the First Day of Kindergarten Easy As 1-2-3

The time has come for you to send your baby out into the world of kindergarten. Even though the first day of school might be one of anxiety for you, it doesn’t have to be one of anxiety for your child. This is a list of tips and tricks that you can use to make sure that your child is ready for the first day of kindergarten. Knowing that your child is ready will probably help you feel more relaxed too.

• Socialize your child. The more your child has experiences playing with other children, the less anxiety they will have about kindergarten. Playing with other children will also teach them the valuable skills of sharing, taking turns, playing nice, and conflict resolution
• Play school. When you play with your child you can play school and when your child plays with other kids, you can encourage the children to play school. By playing, children will get excited for school and start to feel comfortable about going. This will make them ready when the time finally comes.
• Take field trips. Your child should be exposed to plenty of different environments before going to school. You can take your child to the children’s museum, the petting zoo, the park, and friends’ houses. The more places the child goes, the less afraid they will be of the unknown.
• Go to school. As the time for kindergarten gets close, your school might have a time that the kids can go with their parents to meet the teacher and see the classroom. After going to school remind the kid about the visit and the fun toys and tools that they saw. Try to get them excited about their return visit.
• Find them friends. If your child will be going to a public school, their schoolmates will be other children in the area. You should do your homework and find other kids that will be entering kindergarten when your child does. There is nothing that causes so much anxiety as having to deal with a new situation when you are all alone. You can make sure your child doesn’t feel alone by introducing them to classmates and fostering friendships.
• Read to your child. Reading to your child is one of the best ways to prepare your child for the world of academics and for life in general. Not only will it teach your child about the world, your child may also grow to love reading. It will certainly teach valuable listening skills.

• Work on academic skills. Your child should arrive in kindergarten with some academic skills. They should definitely know the names of the letters of the alphabet and how to identify some of the letters. They should also know how to count to 10, some shapes and colors, and, if not how to write their name, at least how to identify their name.
• Get some school supplies and a little backpack. Having a backpack with their things in it will help your child get excited for school. Let them pick out their own backpack so they feel ownership. They should feel confident and important and know that it is a big responsibility to carry your own things. Let them know that the backpack is a part of the school process.
• Talk about the first day of school and encourage questions. You want your child to be able to express their anxiety about school. You should encourage them to ask questions about everything. If they have older siblings, get your kids talking to each other about the kindergarten experience.
• Read books about kindergarten. There are some excellent books that deal with kindergarten and first day of school anxiety. Get a couple of these books and read them to your children during normal reading time. After reading the books is a good time to encourage questions.
• Make sure your child can handle all bathroom needs. Also, make sure that they can handle their buttons, shoes, and zippers on their own. They will definitely be afraid to go to kindergarten if they think they are going to have to ask the teacher to help them dress or go to the bathroom.

By following these tips your kindergartner should enjoy his or her first day of school, making it one of the easiest days of YOUR life.