Lakewood Childcare Center

Since a few families expressed some concern for their child and the transition to a new school, or even a new classroom, we thought we would dig up some tips to have a smooth transition. Taken from the website www.stillplayingschool.com, these are 10 tips to help you out as a family.

1. Visit the school- take your child for a look around, even if it is just to the playground for now. Get them familiarized with their new surroundings.
2. Wait to purchase supplies (or ask ahead)- if and when you get a list of supplies, have your child be involved in the process
3. Get enough sleep- 5 year olds need 10-12 hours of sleep for a successful day.
4. Provide healthy snacks/food- it’s good for the brain!
5. Prep the night before- set out clothes, shoes, backpack, etc.
6. Practice the teacher’s name.
7. Wait to share specifics- hold off on telling your own worries, thoughts, warnings. This can give your child ideas that they don’t need to hear.
8. Remember everyone is transitioning- the bus driver, the school, the library, etc.

As we sometimes say, when a child goes to Kindergarten, EVERYONE goes to Kindergarten in the house. This is a big step and we all need to be patient.

9.Have a drop zone- when your child comes in to the house after school, have a place where they can put their things.

10.Start responsibilities on day one- make sure you have your child accountable and responsible for their needs and activities.

For the start of July, we want to review what we have done and will be doing some role play to see what the children remember and how they can problem-solve different scenarios. Some of the skills we have done so far have been: listening, dealing with feeling mad, wanting to be first, greeting others, and deciding on how someone feels. A good way to see if your child understands is simply to ask them. Ask, “What do you think about…” or “How would you feel if…” Wait for their responses and help them think of ways to help others, and themselves.