Parting from your child the first day of preschool is a moment that any parent would dread.  You child will probably cry and go into hysteria, but you must remember that preschool is for their benefit.  Stoop down to their level and tell them they’ll be OK.

Before you leave your child on that fateful day, tell them when you will be back.  Saying “I’ll be back at 3:00” will do your child no good since they can’t read clocks yet.  Tell them “I’ll be back after nap time” or “I’ll be back before group time.”  This way your child can get a general sense of when you’ll be back to pick them up.

Talk to your child’s teacher and ask him or her if your child goes and mingles with his /her peers after you leave.  Another option would be standing outside the door for 2-3 minutes then peeking in to see what your child is doing.  If he/she is standing there not interacting with the other children around him/her, talk to his/her teacher and ask that your child be assisted in joining activities with the other children.

If it seems your child just won’t interact with his/her peers, or the parting from you gets worse, consider taking your child out of the preschool setting for a couple of weeks.  Chances are, your child will get extremely bored at home and will want to go back to preschool.  Children need stimulation at an early age and quite frankly, parents don’t offer enough to keep children entertained.

Always keep it a priority to pick up your child on time on a consistent basis.  If you promise your child you will pick them up after snack time, but you finally arrive midway through nap time, your child may go into a panic.  When picking your child up, make it a point to ask him or her what they did during their day.  If they ask what you did, try to make it sound boring and uneventful so it seems they didn’t miss much.

Preschool can be a wonderful time for you and your child.  Don’t let the preschool separation blues keep you from sending your child where he/she will surely benefit.  Make sure your child doesn’t go through his or her preschool experience alone.  Ask them questions often and engage yourself in their activities.  Check in with his/her teacher often and make sure they are interacting appropriately with their peers.

You may also find interesting:

  1. Preschool, Good or Bad?
  2. Cliques in Preschool, The Sad Reality
  3. Was Preschool Effective in Getting your Child Ready for Kindergarten?
  4. How to boost a confidence of your preschooler?
  5. How to Minimize Temper Tantrums

Filed under: Socializing

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