Children don’t realize the importance of their first day in school. But parents do. If you are nervous or excited, don’t stress yourself or your child out by preparing too much. Don’t under-prepare either. Here is a preschool checklist for parents that you should follow to prepare yourself and your child for their first day in Singapore school.
Let’s begin.
1. Mental Preparation
Many parents focus too much on getting their children ready for their first day of school that they forget that they need to get ready too. It would help if you were emotionally and mentally prepared to let your child go.
In the past, you would have had to leave your children in the care of others for a few hours. But, this is different. If you’re a stay-at-home mom, the adjustment will be huge. These days, though, your preschooler should start learning at home. Either way, the first day of school is a milestone. It means your baby is growing up. Today it’s preschool. Tomorrow, college. Be sure you’re ready.
It’s not going to be easy, but it’s all part of being a parent. It’ll be a long way before she goes off to university, but the first day at her online preschool classes should give you a taste of what that will feel like.
2. Talk to the Teacher
Before the first day even starts, make sure you have a talk with your child’s teacher. If there’s no orientation session, reach out to the teacher and ask for a video meetup. That way, you can ask all the questions you want. If you have any concerns, then this is the best time to ask.
Afraid that your child might go to a disinterested teacher who is not invested in their learning and development? Then make sure you pick the best international preschool in Kuala Lumpur to eliminate those worries.
An excellent school is often a reflection of its faculty. With a wonderful teaching staff in place, your child will be in good, capable hands. With the way classes are going under the pandemic, students who have teachers who are both dedicated and passionate about their jobs are extremely lucky. Teachers who impart life lessons and take great pains to ensure that every child in the class learns and grows up to become a well-adjusted and emotionally balanced individual are a blessing. So make sure that you interact with the teachers in your chosen preschool so that you can rest assured that your children are in safe hands.
3. Choose the Bag
If you’re sending your child to online preschool classes, buying a bag might still help. Make sure that the backpack has everything that your child will need for the sessions. What you can do is tell your child to prepare every morning for school by going through a routine: brush your teeth, get into your uniform, and have breakfast. Then have your child walk out the front door and then step right back into your home after a few moments. That’s one way to put a little fun into their day. It gives them that feeling of having to pack their bag for school and actually going somewhere. It will especially help with the first day.
4. Prepare Snacks and Lunches
Prepare your child a lunch box. Fill it up with snacks. That way, you won’t have to disturb them amidst their online preschool classes. By preparing the lunchbox early in the day, your child can reach out for one and eat it during the designated lunch time. That’s much more convenient and certainly better since your child won’t have to waste time going to the kitchen to ask you for snacks. This way, your child won’t have to wait for you to finish preparing them either. This means longer lunch time for your child! Prepare light snacks and wholesome meals beforehand, so your child will only need to eat before going back to her lessons.
5. Have Comfort Items Handy
Does your child carry around a toy or stuffed animal? That could help ease your child’s worries during the first day of school. Make sure those items are close by. However, you’ll want to make sure they don’t distract your child from their lessons. Keep the gaming consoles or gadgets out of sight. Otherwise, the minute your child loses interest in their online classes, they’re going to reach for those gadgets. Keep that from happening at all costs. Hide them if needed.
6. Keep Baby Wipes Around
Children get into all sorts of mess. They get themselves dirty more times than you can count. Whether it’s to wipe away at a runny nose or a quick cleanup of their hands or faces, having tissues or baby wipes around is a must.
Given how children tend to get smudges on their faces all the time, it will help if they had tissues at close proximity. If your child kid is a messy eater, those wipes will definitely come in handy as well. This will not just make cleanup easy but train your child to stay clean and hygienic.
7. Get There Early
You’ll want to get to the classes early. You never know what will happen or how those online sessions will go. Everyone’s in the same boat, though. Many parents aren’t quite sure what they’re doing and that can make for a chaotic first day. There’s also the fact that you want to test out your equipment and connection.
Can you log into the meeting with ease? Is the program working? If you need to get any of those bugs fixed, you’ll have more time to get those things done if you log onto the meeting early. That way, if you need help, you still have time to reach out to a school technician to fix the issue for you.
8. Plan the Night Before
Sit down with your child and brief them about what their first day can look like. Talk to them about school and how their first day can play out. Tell them what their daily schedule for preschool classrooms could entail. Explain to them how the sessions work and if you’re not certain yourself, then that’s one of the questions you’ll want to ask the teacher beforehand. By talking to your kid about their first day of class, you’ll be able to excite them and make them emotionally ready for what’s to come. That also helps prepare you.
9. Be There for Her
Your child might feel lost or confused at certain points in class. Due to the constraints of the online sessions, it’s a good idea to stay close by. That way, if your child needs assistance of any kind, you’re there to lend her a helping hand. That should cut down on any worries that your child might have. Watching over your child during some of the sessions also gives you an idea of what the classes are like.
Do you have any comments or suggestions? What improvements can you suggest? Any of that feedback will be helpful to the teachers too. So pay attention and keep a mental note of the grounds covered by the teacher so you can give your suggestions if needed.
Before your child takes that first step out of the door or before and after their classes, let your child know you’re proud of them. Let them know that you’re there to cheer them on. That helps motivate your child and emotionally prepare them for school.
If your child is afraid or uncertain about attending their preschool classes, your encouragement will go a long way to help them and provide them with the motivation they need. That could be the extra push they needed all along so be generous with your words
This brings us to the end of our 1st day of preschool checklist blog post. We hope that this blog has opened your eyes to the endless possibilities of simplifying the first day of preschool for you and your child.
Follow these first day of preschool ideas to make your life and your child’s life a whole lot easier!
