It seemed just yesterday when you were bringing home a baby from the hospital. And now, your child is the right age for kindergarten. It’s another milestone, going to school. But the changes might overwhelm your child. If you want to make sure your baby is ready for anything, here are some tips on what you can do to ease the transition. Go over the list to see which tips will apply in your case.
Know the Age Cutoff
When you pick a preschool in Singapore, make sure you know what its age cut-off is. That way, you’ll know if your child will be accepted or not. That’s the first step you’ll want to take every time you go looking for a school. Check the requirements—age cut-off included—to determine if your little one is eligible. If that isn’t the case, move on to all your other options. You have plenty of choices to explore, so no need to worry that your child might end up in a school that’s far from suitable.
Teach Manners and Respect
The schools in Punggol and other parts of the city is where your child’s social skills develop. Is your child ready for the experience, though? This is an excellent time to train your child to learn basic manners. They need to know how to play with all the other kids in class or act around people who aren’t their immediate family members. Teach your little one kindness and respect. All those lessons will give your child an excellent foundation, so that when s/he starts interacting with all the other kids—whether during in-person classes or online sessions—your child will know what to do. Your words will serve as a guide. Training your child on how to treat others well provides a good foundation for building up your little one’s social skills.
Talk to Your Child
It’s going to be scary and different. But it will also be all sorts of fun. Talk to your child about that. While the challenges of preschool might intimidate your child, you can talk to your kid about their expectations. You can discuss their expectations. What activities do they want to join? By talking to your child and providing details on how preschool is—from the teachers and classmates to the classrooms and the safety protocols they will need to follow, you give them a better idea of what they will face when they start logging in for their online school or go to their first in-person class.
Reassure Your Kid
It’s normal for your child to be anxious and scared about the change. That doesn’t mean you want your little one to wallow in all of that. Reassure your child that s/he will do great, that going to school on the first day might be challenging, but that things will get better. Also, make sure your child understands that the teacher is there to offer all the kids help if anything happens. Practice normalizing that it’s okay to get help.
Encourage Friendships
School is usually one of the first places where kids interact with other children and where they start to build connections. Encourage your child to make friends when they can since these relationships add depth and sincerity to one’s life. If they’re afraid that no one will like them, provide reassurance. Build up your child’s self-esteem and confidence by talking about your little one’s positive traits and how those qualities will not only help them get good grades at school but will also help them find, make, and even keep the friends they like.
Prepare Everything Necessary
Another way to get your child ready for preshcool in Singapore is to prepare everything, from the supplies to the laptop and more. Did you miss anything? You’ll want to consult your checklist to ensure your child’s first day in school will go smooth and stress-free. Work together with the teacher to provide the best experience possible for your child. It would also help if you log into class a day or so earlier. Going over the process will help so that you and your child will know what to do by the first day.
Prepare Yourself Too
Your child will take their cue from you. That means if you’re stressed out or anxious over your job, the pandemic, or just the thought of your child starting school while all this is going on, your kid will eventually pick up on those feelings and that could lead to negative emotions about going to school. It is an excellent time to address them. Be careful about how you manage your own emotions then as it might be affecting your child in ways that you don’t even know.
Kindergarten is also the place where kids first learn to think for themselves. Encourage that habit. It will help your child grow up independent and well able to make decisions.
