The first day of school: one child eagerly looks forward to it, the other faces that moment with a little more nervousness. Can you already prepare your preschooler a little? And how? Some tips to make the school start as smooth as possible.
We could shower you with advice and tips, but trop is too much. Even for your kids. So our kindergarten teacher gives some simple and achievable tips to make the first day of school (hopefully) a winner.
A prepared starter is worth two
1. Use a countdown calendar and routine planner
A calendar on which your toddler tracks and crosses off (or stickers :-)) how many more nights of sleep are left, can bring peace. And even make the start of the school year something to look forward to.
Your little one will also benefit immensely from routine. Some schools give you their daily schedule on their own, others you have to ask for it yourself. But feel free to do so if you know that structure is important to your child. When a snack, when lunch, when ...
You can also emphasize structure at home during the first days of school with a routine planner. Let your little toddler do the to do's - usually nicer and easier than the ones on your list ;-) - check off. This brings peace not only before leaving for school, but also at the end of a day full of impressions at school.
DOWNLOAD: routine planner for your toddler or preschooler
Go go go, with our toddler planner!
Why pictograms?
Pictograms are an efficient and easy way to communicate with small children. Even in the classroom, the teacher will often use them. In many kindergarten classrooms there is a day line with pictograms. The preschoolers go over it in the morning.
It provides familiarity and structure, something that beginners can certainly use in that new environment. Often kindergarten supervisors start with pictures for the youngest children. These are recognizable, because not all young preschoolers have mastered the level of being able to “read” pictograms at that time. During the school year, more and more pictures are replaced by pictograms.
Pictograms are also very rewarding for children who speak a different language at home and have not yet fully mastered Dutch.
As a parent, after the school day, you are ravenously curious about how your child experienced the day. What was it like? What did you do? Played happily? Tinkered? And the answer is often 'fun', 'lots of things', 'yes' ... With a story card with drawings or pictograms you can make that after-school conversation go a bit smoother.
2. Include a reading book
Introduce your child to the new world of school through books. There are lots of great (pre-)reading books in which you can read about going to school together with your newbie.
Reading aloud or reading together is a casual way to learn exactly what a day at school entails. The booklets are usually about all aspects of school and class.
3. Provide fun and recognizable items to take with you
Your own (personalized) stuff is important too, isn't it?
They provide a foothold, you are familiar with them. For small children this is often even more so.
Can your child go to school with a brand new book bag? And a new sippy cup or lunch box? If so, it's best to make sure it's really familiar with those items already.
- Go buy a lunch box, snack box, cup, book bag ... together. And feel free to let your child choose - within appropriate (price) limits, of course. Something that your toddler has chosen himself is immediately much more valuable.
- Practice opening and closing the lunch box or snack boxat home. Then that won't be any extra stress at school.
- Plan an outing in the last weeks of vacation and take the things that will also go with you to school.
- Label, label, label. Make sure your child's belongings bear his or her name. These things can easily disappear from your little one's sight... And then the honest finder - the mom or dad who sees a strange box or cup suddenly turn up at home - can return everything.
Put everything in the book bag together. Just for practice. And then be sure to prepare the book bag with your child on the first day of school.
Looking for inspiration?
Nûby's Sports Bottle Spout (360 ml) is ideal for your toddler: a Flip-It cup with a soft spout, which is good for your child's mouth (gums and teeth). Drinking becomes a breeze, without spilling. And fun, too!
Cleaning is a breeze for you, as you can easily remove the spout and straw. The push button keeps the spout clean when your child is not using it. The handle at the top makes it super convenient to carry.
You can also find the Flip-it cup in a version in extra strong copolyester. Ideal for your little adventurer ... who occasionally knocks something to the ground.
Follow @nuby_benl on Instagram and discover even more fun items, such as (bath) toys, eating utensils, ... for your baby!
4. Walk or bike past the school already
Recognizability can do a lot. The teachers and the children are new, but your little one will have absorbed the environment a bit more beforehand. And yes, that is okay with the book bag on the back.
5. Practice saying goodbye
Especially kids who didn't go to daycare can have trouble being away from mom or dad, or grandparents, or ... It can be helpful to practice that goodbye. And especially to learn that you will always come back.
Also be sure to tell your child who will pick them up at the end of the day when dropping them off at school.
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Looking for one of Nûby's fun and colorful products for your child? You can find them at Kruidvat, among other places .😉
You first read this article at Mamabaas.
