7. [Parent Corner] First Time in School? I Got Your Back

Chantal 0:02

preschoolers don't really come with a manual, do they? You want to spend your day helping them grow, and enjoying the magic of learning through the eyes of a preschooler. You also want to help them deal with all the big feelings that come with being three or four. But real talk, you don't have a lot of time. We need to prep for the day with confidence, and ditch the stress that sometimes comes along the way. I got you. Welcome to the preschool Made Easy podcast. I'm your host, Chantal, a kinder teacher turned curriculum designer, and preschool consultant, and I'm here to help you make this school year. The best one yet. Let's get to the show.

Is your little one starting preschool soon? Will it be your very first time. I know the emotions that are running high right now all too well, not to fear. I'm here. Welcome to the first episode of our new segment called Parent corner. In these episodes, I will be sharing my experiences and expertise as a teacher and a parent to help you learn what to expect, what you can do, and how this preschool journey will fulfill you in ways you never imagined.

Hey, hey, my friend, you're listening to episode seven. And we're diving into the real truth about separation anxiety, how you can begin working on independence and life skills at home and the right way to communicate with your child's teachers. Buckle up because it's going to be a juicy one. Want to start working on that independence? I've got the perfect checklist for you, along with strategies I know will help. Go ahead and grab your free copy in the show notes. All right, let's get started.

Separation anxiety. Ooh, I feel like there are just some words that get thrown around and when we hear them, we just cringe. It's like a taboo. You shouldn't say it. You don't talk about it, Bruno, just Nope. Nope. On a rope. Well, what if I told you that I'm not here to upset you or put you down in any way? What if I'm just trying to take this term and help you see that it's not a bad thing. They aren't bad words. Just words that help us understand our children, and how they are growing, how we are growing as parents. Preschool is the prime time for children and parents to experience separation anxiety, especially if it's their first time in school. If it's daycare with an infant or toddler, it's even stronger. When I was getting my bachelor's degree in early childhood education. One of my professors taught us that it doesn't just affect the children, but it also affects the parents. Honestly, I didn't truly understand this until I became a parent myself. And after staying home with baby girl for so long. It hit me like a pan to the head. I can tell you, it really is a normal part of the adjustment process. One thing you can do to alleviate the separation anxiety for you both is to create a consistent drop off routine by saying goodbye with a smile on their on your face, that reassures them that everything will be okay. I'll be back soon, and you will have a super fun day. Some schools even allow you to leave a comfort object like a favorite toy or a blanket with your child that they can later put away in their Covey. When you start worrying about how they are adapting to this new change, just remember that children adapt much faster than we would expect. They quickly learn to build a sense of security and belonging in their class. Listen, preschool teachers are truly magicians when it comes to making sure that all their children feel safe. Welcome and happy in their classrooms. What a gift right?

All right now let's get into building independence and life skills with your littles. At the expense of sounding like a textbook preschool marks an important milestone in fostering independence and self care skills in children. Now, according to the child MIND Institute, some ways that you can promote independence in your preschooler are to set predictable routines. Let your child choose between two options. Let your child help and allow them to solve problems. You can also give them chores, encourage them to do simple projects like redecorating or organizing and nurturing their free playing at home. You should teach them things like how to dress themselves, how to use the bathroom independently and take care of their belongings will go more in depth into the life skills your preschoolers will need at a later episode. But for Now, I'll go ahead and give you some of the basics, opening and closing buttons, putting on their shoes with velcro straps, opening and closing their own lunch boxes. holding a pencil. This one's critical, and so many other ones, but you know, I can go on and on. But for now, let's just keep it simple, okay? When you encourage your little one to be independent at home, you're essentially giving them permission and motivating them to make their own choices and practice these necessary life skills that will set the tone for their progress in school.

If it's your first time in school, you're probably wondering, how should I communicate with our teacher? Do I call her? Do I email him? What can I do if I really need to tell them something? As a new preschool parent, you should expect ongoing communication with your child's teacher or teachers. After all, it is a successful partnership that benefits everyone. preschool teachers typically maintain open lines of communication in different ways. They may have a weekly or monthly newsletter that they send to the parents or post on a bulletin board in the school. They could also hold parent teacher conferences to keep you in the loop as far as how your child is progressing. Or they could just send daily updates with pictures. I will say this, here's a really big unpopular opinion. Sometimes parents expect too much. Hear me out. I've had more than a few parents who have emailed me 17 times in one day. This one is realer than real. Waited for me in the parking lot by my car, and even stalked me on Instagram or Facebook. Here's a rule of thumb for you. If it's too creepy for a stranger to do this. Don't do it to your child's teacher. It's not cool. They are real people with normal lives and families and they have their own lives to attend to. The fact is teaching is their job, not their life. They are teaching your children, but it's not their job to raise them on their own, or be at your mercy just because you want them to do something for you ASAP. Now, with that being said, if you are polite and respectful, your child's teacher will be more than willing to help you with anything. Even the not so nice situations. Teachers often bent over backwards to help their children. But they will do the same for those parents who treat them well. Feel free to share your concerns with them. Tell them about any observations of your child that you have that may be worrying you and seek guidance on how to support your little ones learning at home. Don't forget that teachers are experienced in handling many young children at once and are dedicated to your kiddos growth and well being trust them and they will trust you.

All right, parents, you got this one day at a time. Keep it simple, and build those relationships with your baby's teachers. And I promise it'll all be worth it. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. I love creating content to support you on your preschool journey. So if you enjoyed this episode, reach out to me on Instagram, and let me know what resonated or any questions you may have. Let's keep the conversation going. So we can support more preschool teachers and parents, just like you see in the next episode.