Every ‘firsts’ that you have with your child is sure to be a
nervous and exciting one. So the first day of your child’s preschool
or nursery calls for some extra preparations. It’s the time when your child
will begin to learn something new in a new environment and emotions are sure to
be on a high. The child will experience natural fears due to the unfamiliar
place and as parents it’s your duty to ease out the fears and worries. Here are
few tips that can smoothen out this vital transition phase and helps your child
to have a delightful childhood in his first formal learning environment.
Teach the Basics
The time that the child has continuously spent with you
after birth has helped him/her to learn some simple manners and actions. As you
prepare your child, take note that a refresher course is just necessary as it
is to help him learn a few things more. So some of the basics that you can now
help him learn are –
- Developing
the habit of listening to talk as well as instructions
- Showing
patience while interacting with the teacher
It has been observed that by the time the child is brought
into a preschool or a nursery, he is adept with these skills but as parents you
can always make your child practice through role-playing or situational
process.
Obtain Help from the Library
The library can offer you study materials and guideline sets
on how you can prepare your child for preschool or nursery. These are reliable
works of research by doctors and psycho analysts as well as accounts of
teachers and parents.
You can learn by going through the cases and stories of
others experiences and the fictional accounts that are written form a toddler’s
point of view can help you to realize that this initial fear regarding the
preschool or nursery is not unique with your child but a common phenomenon. You
can get ideas from these materials on how to further develop the basic skills
and help your child consider this as an enjoyable learning phase.
Pretend and Build a Preschool
or Nursery Environment
The environment that you provide to the child helps him to
learn the proper way to interact in it. A real situation is always a better
learning tool than sets of drab instructions. Children love to imitate and act
out. So as they witness you behaving in a particular manner as you set up a
preschool or nursery atmosphere, they can easily understand how they are
expected to behave.
Set up small tables and chairs and bring in friends, they
can even be unreal ones like your kids teddy or doll. Chart out routines that
include the activities that your child is likely to follow in the preschool or
nursery. Set up a reading time, drawing
time, story telling time, snack
time, fun time and rest time.
Make a Practice
Session
Once you have zeroed in on a preschool or nursery and
decided to admit your child on the same, pay a visit to the school with your
child a couple of weeks ahead of actual admission. Help him to observe what the
preschool or nursery is all about and the activities that take place there.
Meeting the teacher
will remove the unfamiliarity factor and you can readily prepare your child in
understanding what he will expect in there. This is known as a practice run or
an acquaintance session that can immensely help the child to adjust to the
change in environment and the routines.
Listen to what your Child
has to Say.
Allow him to express his fears and worries and work on
explaining patiently on how the preschool or nursery is going to be fun. Ensure
a shield of comfort and assurance of your presence whenever your child needs
you.
