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- Tears on the first day? No not you! Your little one! We all know that it can be an emotional day for many parents, but the focus of this tip is the apprehensive new kindergarten student. It’s natural to miss mom or dad until a child feels safe and comfortable at school. Pack a family photo in your child’s backpack so that your child can look at the picture when they’re feeling lonely.
- Packing lunch – If you have time, get your child to help you pack their lunch. It’s a great opportunity to help children learn about nutrition, and also increases the chances the food will be eaten if it was agreed upon at home! Picnic style lunches such as cut up fruit, veggies, crackers, and cheese are tasty, healthy meal options. The key is nutritious items that can be snacked on during the various eating opportunities throughout the school day. Soy-nut butter is a tasty, protein packed substitute for schools that do not allow tree nuts or peanuts due to allergies. Final tip, fill a water bottle and your child will stay hydrated during the day.
- Kindergarten kicks – Many teachers will ask that you send your child to school with shoes that they can do up independently. Whether it’s Velcro or laces, many children still confuse left and right. One way to get around this is to draw a small happy face on the back of the shoe (half the smile on the left and half on the right shoe). Once the smile lines up, the child can step into the shoes correctly. If you don’t want to mark up the exterior of your child’s shoes, a simple dot on the left and right inner fabric of the shoe can help children prevent shoe mix-up. Just show your child how the dots need to touch before he or she slips on their outdoor or indoor shoes.
- Get involved! The goal in the first few weeks of Kindergarten is to develop a safe, inclusive classroom where children feel confident following routines. Volunteers can actually be a distraction until students feel confident following directions from one adult (the classroom teacher!). Once the teacher is ready for volunteers, this is your opportunity to let your child know you are interested in their education by participating. Volunteer on fieldtrips, bake with the class, share your musical talent or read with students. Even coming into the classroom to help with cutting/pasting can be a big help to the teacher and special to your child. If you work full time, ask if you can do cutting/pasting job from home.
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