IS YOUR CHILD SOCIALLY , EMOTIONALLY , PHYSICALLY , AND COGNITIVELY
READY TO PARTICIPATE IN A DAILY , STRUCTURED , EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM WITH A GROUP OF OTHER CHILDREN ?
children to have certain basic skills . Most preschools will want your child to be potty-trained , for instance . Your child should also be able to take care of some other basic needs , like washing his hands after painting , eating his lunch without assistance , and sleeping alone .
� Can your child spend time away from you ? If your child has been cared for by a babysitter or a relative , he ’ ll be better prepared to separate from you when he ’ s at preschool . Kids who are used to being apart from their parents often bounce right into preschool with hardly a backward glance . If your child hasn ’ t had many opportunities to be away from you , you might want to schedule some — a weekend with grandma , for instance , or a day with your sister and her kids .
Even if you can ’ t work out your separation issues up front , don ’ t worry too much . Many children leave Mom or Dad for the first time to go to preschool and they do just fine .
The trick is to help your child adjust in short doses . Many preschools will allow you to drop off your child for an hour or two during his first few days there . As your child gets used to his new environment , let him gradually work up to a full day .
� Can he or she work on projects independently ?
Preschool usually involves lots of arts and crafts projects that require concentration and the ability to focus on an individual task . If your child likes to draw at home or gets engrossed in puzzles and other activities on his own , he ’ s a good candidate for preschool .
Even if she ’ s the kind of child who asks for help with everything , you can start getting him ready by setting up playtimes where he can entertain himself for a half hour or so . While you wash the dishes , encourage him to make creatures out of clay , for example .
Gradually build up to longer stretches of solo play . Your goal here is to keep yourself moderately preoccupied with an activity so that he ’ ll get on with his own without too much hand-holding from you .
� Is your child ready to participate in groups ? Many preschool activities , like “ circle time ,” require that all the children in a class participate at the same time . These interactions give children a chance to play and learn together , but also require them to sit still , listen to stories , and sing songs . This can be very difficult for kids under three who are naturally active explorers and not always developmentally ready to play with other kids .
If your child isn ’ t used to group activities , you can start introducing them yourself . Take him to story time at your local library , for instance , or sign him up for a class such as tumbling to help him get used to playing with other children .
� Is he used to keeping a regular schedule ? Preschools usually follow a predictable routine : circle time , play time , snack , playground , then lunch . There ’ s a good reason for this . Children tend to feel most comfortable and in control when the same things happen at the same time each day .
So if your child doesn ’ t keep to a schedule and each day is different from the last , it can help to standardize his days a bit before he starts preschool . Start by offering meals on a regular timetable . You could also plan to visit the park each afternoon or set — and stick to — a bedtime ritual ( bath , then books , and bed ).
� Does your child have the stamina for preschool ?
Whether it ’ s a half-day or full-day program , preschool keeps kids busy . There are art projects to do , field trips to take , and playgrounds to explore . Does your child thrive on activities like this , or does he have trouble moving from one thing to the next without getting cranky ?
Another thing to consider is how and when your child needs to nap . Preschools usually schedule nap time after lunch . If your little one can keep going until then or even all day like a wind-up toy , he ’ s set . If he still needs a mid-morning snooze , it might not be time yet to go to school . But you can work toward building his stamina by making sure he gets a good night ’ s sleep . If you have some flexibility in your schedule , you might also want to start him off in a halfday program to ease him into the hustle and bustle of preschool life , and gradually increase the length of his school day as he gets more comfortable .
� Why do you want your child in preschool ? Think carefully about what your goals are for sending your child to preschool . Do you just need time for yourself or daycare for your child ? There may be other options if it seems she isn ’ t ready yet for the rigors of school .
Are you worried that if you don ’ t enroll her in full-time preschool she won ’ t be ready for kindergarten ? Most experts agree that there are other ways to develop the skills for kindergarten . Try attending a half-day or just go a few days a week to preschool . A study by the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development found that children do best if they ’ re cared for by someone who is genuinely concerned about their well-being and development , and who makes sure they ’ re doing a variety of age-appropriate activities . They needn ’ t be enrolled in an organized preschool if you are able to do that .
If you find that the main reasons you want to send your child to preschool are that she seems eager to learn new things and explore , she isn ’ t getting enough stimulation at home or daycare , or she seems ready to broaden his social horizons and interact with other children , chances are it ’ s the perfect time to begin preschool . #
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