5 Tips to Prepare for the First Day of Kindergarten

Time flies and your child is finally ready to go to kindergarten.   You've spent the last couple of years practicing reading and counting along with learning about colours, letters and playing with other children.

While your child is taking a big step forward in their growth, it is also important to ensure they feel comfortable and are ready for kindergarten.  Here are five tips to prepare for a successful transition to kindergarten:

Get Comfortable: We would recommend to tour the school in advance and make driving past the school part of your summer routine.  Some parents may ever want to practice going to do school in advance.

Listen: Discuss with your child what he or she is looking forward to about kindergarten and where they might have challenges.  If your child is nervous about something,  listen to their tone or see their expressions.   Be encouraging and support them where needed.

Make a Routine:  Start to build a back to school routine and adjust bedtimes and other schedules several weeks in advance.  That way the first day of school is not a sudden transition for your family.  The night before the first day, lay clothes out in advance, have lunches packed and allow for plenty of extra time.

Be Organized: Understand the school year calendar and policies in advance.  For example, what forms do I need to fill out and are their any food policies.   Finally, have your child's items labelled.  Mabels Labels sells excellent products.

Stay Positive: Most importantly relax and be positive.  Show excitement about this wonderful milestone and don't make drop off too big of a deal.