BACK-TO-SCHOOL TIPS FOR PARENTS OF PRESCHOOLERS

Returning to school can be an overwhelming experience for everyone involved, including the students, teachers, and parents! We hope you find these back-to-school tips for preschool parents useful.

1. Get a school routine going early. Summertime schedules are often different than school year schedules, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Kids do well with routines, though, so establishing a school routine early is important. Two to four weeks before school starts, the preschoolers are used to getting up at a certain time every day and going to bed at a certain time. This will get their little bodies used to school day hours.

2. Get appropriate gear for your preschooler. I know that there are TONS of cute and fun school supplies out there!  With that being said, keep in mind what your child actually needs for preschool.  A tiny bug backpack might be super adorable, but it will be pointless if it won’t hold your kiddo’s lunchbox or school folder. Your child’s school will likely have a list, so be sure to refer to that. Many preschools also have small lists of items to not bring to school.  It will help the teachers and students if those lists are adhered to.
3. Talk and read about school. Listen to your preschooler and answer any questions she might have.  Share insights into when you were in school and all the fun you had there. Read and make books about school with your child – it’s a great bonding time, and often the books will spark a great discussion.
4. Check out the preschool classroom, and meet the teacher. This is oh-so-important for your preschooler! Even if your child’s been at the preschool for years, he’ll have a new teacher and a new classroom.  Try your best to bring him to any preschool orientations at the preschool. If you’re not able to, see if a grandparent or a family friend can take him. Knowing his classroom and teacher ahead of time will ease some of the beginning of the year anxieties.
5. Encourage independence. While no one expects a 4-year-old to do everything on her own, age-appropriate independence is important.  Real tasks allow children to learn to take care of themselves.  They also give kiddos a sense of true accomplishment. Some suggestions – cleaning up after themselves after meals, choosing clothes for the day, getting themselves dressed, etc.  While perfection isn’t necessary, working towards independence is the goal.
6. Prepare for back-to-school emotions. Sometimes young children deal with separation anxiety when back-to-school time rolls around.  Honestly, some parents have trouble separating from their children too.  In both cases, those feelings are totally normal! Many of the above tips will help ease back-to-school anxieties.  Additionally, consider reading up on separation anxiety and how to ease it.  Most importantly, you know your child best and you know how to address his concerns.
7. Keep having fun!  While I think the above tips for parents are important, so is having fun as a family!  Keep up your weekly and monthly traditions, as well as your nightly sleep rituals.  Reading together, having dinner together, going swimming together — all of these things will keep you connected to your child.

Work Cited
Catherine, Mary. “7 Must-Read Back to School Tips for Parents of Preschoolers.” Fun-A-Day!, https://fun-a-day.com/back-to-school-tips-for-parents-preschoolers/. Accessed 10 June 2024.