While some children are excited to start kindergarten, others are full of nervousness and do not want to change the routine. It is important for parents to know how to calm their little ones’ nerves and make them long for school instead of refusing to leave the comfort of home.
It is also perfectly normal for your child to feel increasingly uncomfortable as school days approach. However, it is best to start addressing this situation early on so that when school days begin, your child is better prepared to handle the new environment without feeling scared. The kindergarten experience is important to any child’s growth and further education, and therefore it is important to make this experience fun and rewarding rather than scary.
Read on for four things you can start to do to help your child accept a change in environment and prepare for the first day of school.
Let them interact with the outdoor environment
While kindergarten is the official beginning of a child’s life outside the home, the most effective means of learning to interact with the outside world is still informal social communication. It is the parents’ job to take advantage of the summer holidays and take children to commercial playgrounds or play areas to interact and socialize with other children their own age. If the child is already familiar with meeting new people and has enough social skills, kindergarten would not be so scary.
Take them for a visit to your future school
An informal walk through the school building will increase a child’s familiarity with classrooms, playground equipment, cafeteria, and restrooms and will not be as overwhelming as seeing the building on the first day and being alone. Show them the interesting places around the school and inform them of the excitement of being able to play and learn in the new school. Colorful paintings and classrooms are ways to make the school experience more interesting for children, and showing them all of that beforehand can make it more exciting and less scary for your little ones.
Teach the basics at home
Sometimes children are not only afraid of a new environment, but also of falling short as students. Help them overcome this fear by teaching them alphabets, numbers, and other basics at home before they start school. They don’t have to excel at them, but it will make it easier for them to recognize their studies and learn faster in school. It will also boost their confidence when they come across something in class that they are already familiar with.
Keep it light
Don’t give your children the impression that kindergarten is something they have to do and have nothing to say. Instead, cultivate a sense of adventure and excitement and gradually prepare your little ones for the valuable experiences that await them. As you teach them about kindergarten, focus as much on friendships and play as you are on schooling and intelligence. Introduce them to new topics and show them how they will learn more about their favorite activities and topics at school with friends.