Woods - Prepare for preschool: the how-to guide

Amanda pulls up to Walnut Creek Preschool in her minivan while her four-year-old son Eric looks nervously out the window. Shes on her phone for a few more moments, discussing details with a partner, while Eric begins chewing on his lower lip. As soon as shes off the phone she hops out of the car and walks to the other side.

Are you ready? She grins, but doesnt wait for him to answer and walks into the preschool with Eric stumbling behind. They find his new preschool teacher waiting outside her classroom in the hallway.

Ms. Paula?

Thats me!

Im Amanda Sullivan, and this is my son Eric. Eric has begun clutching onto Amandas pants this point, his wide eyes looking around nervously.

Hi Eric! Are you ready to come inside and have a fun day? By now, his eyes are watering up. A child runs past him and accidently bumps into him, and thats the breaking point.

Aw. Eric, honey, dont cry. Remember? We talked about this last week. Here. Stop crying, Ill walk with you inside.

Before Ms. Paula can say another word, Amanda is leading her sniffling son into the classroom. She points to some children playing with blocks.

Eric, honey, why dont you go over there and say hi? They look nice. Mommy needs to go to work now.

But then, Eric is crying again. Both hands have pulled Amandas pants into balls, and his knuckles are white. It takes Mrs. Sullivan a good 10 minutes to extract herself from the situation and leave the preschool. Eric cries for another thirty minutes before Ms. Paula is able to calm him down. For the rest of the day he plays with no one.

The next day, when its time to go back to school again, Eric wont get out of bed. Amanda has to fight him even to just get him to put his clothes on. The trip to preschool is a disaster.

E very parent will experience some challenges when taking their child to pre-K for the first time, but there are steps you can take to make the transition as smooth as possible. Whether youre on your first child or your fourth, theres wisdom to be gleaned from these chapters.

Pre-K isnt just about dropping your kid off for that first day. In fact, theres a long but manageable process involved for you and your child to navigate this important transition successfully.

• Potty training for toddler aged children
• Motor, math, and language development
• Socialization with other children
• That first day challenges
• Separation Anxiety

With a little guidance, you and your children will make it through Pre-K unscathed.

Chapter 2

T his may seem like a strange chapter to include, but some children are able to start pre-K as early as three years old. The preschools that take such young children reasonably ask that your child already be well on their way to being potty trained. With upwards of 20 children per class, you cant expect a teacher to have the time to change diapers. Children develop at different rates and as such climb over different developmental hurdles as various ages, its important to be aware of your own childs progress. Potty training can come as early as three, but some children may still have bladder issues as late as five. All of this is perfectly normal and reasonable. The following are little notes to help guide you on the rocky path to the toilet.

• Their diaper stays dry three hours or more.
• They begin using the bathroom at regular intervals.
• They begin to know when their bladder is full.