How to Be a Good Parent if Your Child is Having a Hard Time Adapting to Preschool

1. How to Be a Good Parent if Your Child is Having a Hard Time Adapting to Preschool The first day you send your child off to preschool will undoubtedly be bittersweet. While it’s wonderful to know your child will be developing a love for learning and socializing with other children his or her age, separation anxiety can be difficult for kids and parents alike. If you’re concerned about the best ways to be a good parent if your child struggles to adapt, you will find the following tips and advice helpful. Create a Morning Routine In today’s busy world, parents are often struggling to get their children awake, dressed, fed, and ready to go to preschool on time. The practice of hurrying your child along in the mornings can create apprehension, especially if you don’t have a solid morning routine established. One of the best ways to help your child feel better about going to preschool involves creating a morning routine that sets aside a little bonding time for you and your child. Read a story together, ask your preschooler to help you prepare breakfast, or just spend a little time talking about the day before you head out the door. Your child will look forward to this routine as it starts the day off on a positive note. Get to Preschool Early Dropping your child off at the door and rushing away to work can also create a sense of apprehension in children. To better help your child adapt to his or her new environment, consider arriving about 20 minutes early each day for a while. Go inside with your child and encourage him or her to play with others. Then, every few days, leave a few minutes earlier. Eventually, you will be able to walk inside with your child, wait for him or her to find friends, and then go on about your day. Get to the Bottom of Your Child’s Apprehension When your child seems to be having difficulty adapting to his or her preschool environment, try to find out why. Is it because he misses you while he’s at school? Is she struggling to make new friends? These things can all make children feel out of place and homesick. If your child misses you, reassure him each day that you will be there to pick him up each day. If your child is struggling to make new friends, talk to the preschool to see if your child can bring in treats for the class as an icebreaker, or perhaps even a toy from home she would like to share with others. Send Your Child to Preschool with a Comfort Object Does your child have a favorite stuffed animal or blanket? If so, this may be a great way to help ease some of his or her apprehension about going to school each day. Be sure to talk to your child’s preschool teacher to make sure the school allows it, then send your child to school with that blanket or stuffed animal as a reminder of home. To be safe, it’s always a good idea to have two of these objects in case one gets lost at school. There are many different ways to be a good parent when your child is struggling to adapt to his or her new preschool environment. Spend some time each morning bonding with your child, walk him or her inside each morning, talk to your child, and if all else fails, allow him or her to bring a favorite toy as a warm reminder. These things can go a long way toward easing your child’s fears and separation anxiety.