How to prepare your child for a successful start to school
How to prepare your child for a successful start to school
Kindergarten can be just as scary for parents as it can be for adults. Just know that you have been preparing your child for this since they were born.
I have now put four kids through kindergarten. Yes, I too had some apprehension as I put my youngest on the bus for the first time this year. Is he going to wipe his own ass, can he open his lunch containers, will he make friends? It was all the unknowns that were scary, but he did fine.
If you google, how to know when your child is ready to start school, the list can be very daunting but remember that it is just a guideline and kids learn and adapt so quickly. Anything they haven’t mastered yet; they will know how to do it in no time. Teachers, especially instructing little kids have seen and heard it all and not all kids enter kindergarten with the same knowledge and skillset but will learn at their own pace.
Teachers will usually send out a welcome to kindergarten, via email or letter mail with a list of supplies required for the first day of school. There is sometimes an intro to kindergarten at the end of the previous school year. This varies from school to school, but I recommend attending. Your children will benefit from seeing the school and classroom, they sometimes get a bus ride and to meet their teacher. This can make the first day of school transition easier for you and your child. This also gives you an opportunity to meet the teacher, to let them know of any concerns or quirks your child has and to answer any questions or address any concerns you may have.
Kindergarten is messy but I’ll let you in on few tips I’ve learned along the way to make your life easier.
When looking for a backpack or packsack make sure to purchase a regular size. The smaller kid sizes are cute but won’t hold all that they need. I loved the adidas and they were exceptionally durable and come with a lifetime warranty. Between lunches, school forms, artwork, wet snow pants etc., those backpacks fill up quick. Just make sure your child can carry it and it’s comfortable for them to wear.
Label, Label, Label. Put your child’s name on anything you send to school. From backpacks, lunch containers, water bottle, school supplies and any clothing worn or sent. Children lose or misplace things easily, putting your child’s name on things helps to ensure you get it back. How frustrating is it to purchase an expensive new pair of shoes and they happen to be sent home with someone else. Most of these items are also new for your child and they may not know what is or is not theirs, it is quite common for children to have the same markers, or clothes. This leads me into a change of clothes. I put a labeled change of clothes (shirt, pants, socks, and underwear) in a clear labeled Ziploc bag. Accidents happen, as well as playground fun, if your kids is anything like mine, they will find that puddle and need a new pair of pants. Doing this ensures that your child can continue with their school learning as seamlessly as possible. It also prevents your kid from being labeled as the pee, pee, pants kid.
Lunch time. I hate making lunches. From packing what my kids will eat and adhering to the school rules, making lunches can get frustrating and monotonous. Some schools are practicing a double lunch instead of the more common recess, lunch, recess model most of us are used to. While this model can give a more spaced-out balance to eating, I have also found that the amount of actual eating time is reduced. A bento box can be a great idea for smaller children. Some schools send home all the lunch garbage so a bento box can help to eliminate sending all the food in its original packaging. See what your child can and can not open. My kids have trouble opening yogurt tubes and cheese string wrappers etc. By taking them out of their packages it makes it easier to encourage my kids to eat these. Allergies are also a serious concern, and you’ll usually get a note home of any items that shouldn’t be sent to school, peanut butter (nut allergy) being one of the most common. There are sometimes substitutes that can be sent, sunflower seed butter or soy butter (Wow butter). Let me just make note here that Wow Butter has put stickers under their label to place on their lunch that it is a peanut free alternative so there is no confusion at school. I also find a thermos a great alternative for fussy eaters. A thermos is great for soup, noodles, leftovers or even cereal. I put the cereal in a bag and the milk in the thermos and my kids just pour the cereal into the thermos to eat. I definitely feel that a decent quality water bottle is a must. Try to find a bottle that can be cleaned easily, dishwasher safe is a bonus. Stainless steel is a great option but can get very pricey. If purchasing plastic, make sure that there are not a lot of little parts that can break easily and that it is BPA free. The more expensive options do usually come with a great or lifetime warranty, which can outweigh constantly replacing cheaper bottles and make sure that it is leakproof. It sucks to have a water bottle leak all over their bag and ruin any artwork sent home or important school documents. I will post a school lunch tips and tricks blog post if there’s interest.
Non-slip, non marking, indoor shoes. If your child can tie shoelaces, you are rocking this parenting shit and doing better than me. Most little kids shoes now utilize Velcro or laces requiring no tying. While we all might be tempted to buy a few sizes up, so we can get a little more life out of their shoes, it’s not recommended. A comfortable fitting pair of shoes is important as they require support and a proper fit to facilitate healthy growth. I tend to get a pair of shoes with a little bit of space but make sure that they are comfortable and have enough space for winter socks. I have bought high end shoes and generic Walmart shoes for school. My kids love the lights and cute features that the cheaper Walmart shoes offer, I did find that they wore out much quicker than a more expensive brand name running shoes. Either option is fine and if money is an issue a cheaper shoe will work just as well. I have also been caught buying expensive, quality shoes only to go out and buy a new pair the next month due to a growth spurt.
It is a great idea to also pack a box of tissues, hand sanitizer and disposable straws for the teacher. Each teacher requests different things from parents and most of their supplies are paid by the teacher. While everyone’s opinion differs on what is and is not the parent’s responsibility, I tend to start the year off on a compassionate note and send these items. I always swore when I had my own kids, I would never have one of those snot nosed dirty little kids. I have now learned that everyone has a snot nosed, dirty little monkey. Tissues get used frequently when kids come in from the cold and I have always struggled to teach my kids on how to blow their nose, so if they see their friends doing it, they will be more likely to attempt it themselves making your job easier at home. We all know how much our lives have changed due to covid and handwashing or sanitizing is a huge part of keeping our children safe. By sending in sanitizer for our children to use it helps to keeps germs down. A lot of the time our kids haven’t been exposed to the number of germs and bacteria they will be introduced to in kindergarten, by sending preventative measures to use at school it will lessen the amount of illness your littles are bringing back home. It’s no fun to have sick little ones and even more difficult to look after sick little ones if you are sick yourself. While on the topic, if you notice your child is not feeling well and you have the option to keep them home, every other parent and child will appreciate it and this practice by all parents will avoid sending the illness home to other families. I get it that this can’t always happen, but it sucks to get a phone call that your child is sick at school and having to spontaneously scramble to adjust your day. The mom guilt is real, and you will be worried about your little one all day and feel so guilty letting them suffer in class. Its’ a great idea to prepare in advance and have a plan in place for the unexpected. I send straws (this year I sent recyclable cardboard). From talking to other parents and teachers, the kids sometimes have a challenging time drinking out of milk cartons and the straws make it easier. If they don’t get used for milk or juice, they can also be used for crafts or other projects.
Here are the basics your child should know to start school.
Put on their own shoes and get dressed with minimal help.
Be able to use the washroom by themselves.
The rest will come.