Our oldest will be going to kindergarten this fall in a public school! My husband and I are teachers by profession, but this is our first time going through the “school readiness” process as parents. After speaking with teachers, parents, and online sources, we’ve compiled a list of things to do to prepare your child for kindergarten. We’re publishing this information in hopes that we can help other parents, especially if this is your first rodeo with a child going to school!
Note: this is our personal list of suggestions for how to help prepare your child for kindergarten. We’re not mentioning academic skills, like knowing your ABCs or how to write your name; additionally, you should speak to your child’s campus and district, as well as their pediatrician and any other specialists they see, to get information specific to your situation.
Information to Get From the School or District
As soon as you’re able, start getting all of the following data from your child’s campus and/or school district. You can always start by looking online; I suggest you keep a folder on your computer, as well as a folder in your email, for school-related stuff. Additionally, I like to PDF-print everything so I have a digital copy.
- Kindergarten bell schedule/routine, particularly what time your child will eat and have recess
- Is there a quiet/nap time? If so, when?
- Bus or transportation schedule, if applicable
- Tour of the campus
- School supply list for kindergarten
- Roster – when will you know whose class your child is in?
- Nurse contact info (allergies, etc.), as well as where to take an updated shot record
- Specialists if needing therapy, etc.
- Yearly school calendar
To Begin (or Continue) at Home
Okay, so you’ve gathered all the information you could possibly acquire. Time to put it into action! Take as many of these suggestions as are relevant to your family, and have fun! Your child can help with a lot of this, and it will definitely help you have a smoother start to the school year.
Again, keep a place for all school papers: an art box, a file cabinet, or a PDF folder.
- Schedule – wake, nap (or not), bedtime, meals. Gradually start getting your child’s body clock to be in alignment with that of the kindergarten class. Remember all that info we gathered from the school up above? Start making small adjustments through the summer to get lunch at the same time, waking up in time to go to school, etc. I would say to try and be fully aligned three weeks before school starts, so for us that means we’ll be in our “school clock” schedule by the beginning of August.
- Sleep – I’m putting this again because your child might still be napping. Chances are there isn’t an official naptime in kindergarten. So if your child is still napping – and I’m so sorry to tell you this – then you need to wean them off of it. You have all summer to do so, but like I said above, I recommend being “done” with any transitions three weeks before school starts. No sleepy kids on the first day of school! (Need more help with this? Email me and I will give you more help!)
- Family calendar – can be online or paper/dry erase board form, just something for all vacation days, testing days, events, etc. Have everything in one place!
- Social skills, like taking turns, waiting, sharing, helping (leaders, roles, jobs) – and hey, as a parent, you don’t have to play nice with your kid. Grab something from them, refuse to share, take two turns instead of one. And then teach your child how to act in that situation!
- Teach your child their full name, address, birthday, phone number. Spelling is great; spelling and being able to write it is ideal.
- Make sure they know how to go to the bathroom alone, including locking a stall and wearing a belt. This happened so many times when I taught kindergarten, when a little kid would come running back down the hall with their pants down because they didn’t know how to zip/button/do a belt. And ain’t no one going to wipe your kid’s butt at school. I’m just saying.
Discussions to Have With Your Child
This is so important, and so often overlooked! Not only should you be talking to your child about going to kindergarten, but your child needs to hear about all of these topics. This is particularly essential if your child has been at home with you for most of their life up until this point. They are growing up and away from you, and it’s your job to keep them safe and reassure them.
At the same time, you know your child: you know how aware they are of the big world, and how sensitive they are, and how much they infer from adults and news. My intent here is not to freak out your kid, but things like fire drills and bullying are very real in public school. So it’s paramount that you have these discussions now, and always have an open door policy with your child. Start young.
If you’re not sure how to start having serious discussions with your child, I have some tips here to help you not be uncomfortable. And finally, make sure that you have these discussions frequently. In the car, taking a bath, at breakfast. Let them become familiar topics, not something that’s taboo or only mentioned once in passing. Your chidl is worth it.
- Body safety – your body is your own, and you have control (read more about how to open up this dialogue here)
- Consent and respect – no means no. If someone else tells you no, that’s it. If you tell someone else no, they should respect that. (And talk about what to do if someone doesn’t respect your child’s no.)
- Bullying – what it means, how we respond
- Campus emergencies – what a fire drill, red alert (active shooter) is, etc.
- Honesty – we always tell the truth, no matter what (if it gets you or a friend in trouble, etc.)
- Always right to do right – one of the three big life lessons I want to teach my kids
- What to do when we make a bad choice (read more here)
For the Parents
And my last section of help for you (told you this would be ridiculously extensive!) is just for you, the parents. You and your partner can look through this list together and see which resonate with you.
If your child lives in two homes, like with divorced parents or grandparents, make sure that all responsible families are involved.
- Apply as a volunteer – background check and ID required, but it’s good to do this before the school year starts. Going on field trips, helping at parties, even making copies usually all require this application process to be done beforehand. So do it now!
- Don’t let your child see you’re nervous or scared – there’s no need to needlessly worry your child. In my case it’s not that I’m scared, it’s that I’ll be so sad and will miss him terribly. But you want your child to associate kindergarten with new and fun and exciting, not scary. If they see you’re scared, they’ll wonder if they should be, too. So find an appropriate outlet where you can deal with that emotion in a healthy way, but let it be exclusive of your kid.
- Look forward to the future – this is what I really need help with. Don’t dwell on all of the phases that are done – I mean, who really misses blowouts? – but make a list of things that are worth looking forward to. Your child learning to read and write; making new friends that will grow with them for years; meeting more parent friends!
- Make special memories this summer – don’t take any time for granted because you’re upset or in “mourning” of this time. We try to use extra money for experiences, like zoo tickets or mini trips to the beach. Take tons of photos, make lots of memories, and carry that love with you into the start of the school year.
- Make some one-on-one time (and keep it up during the year) – this is something new for us this year, too. Now that we have a child about to go into kindergarten, and a toddler, both kids can really benefit from some sacred time with Mom and Dad. It doesn’t have to cost money, or even be outside the home. Just make sure that you “charge your battery” with your child so that you continue to have a healthy relationship even once they start kindergarten.
- Write to your kid – I strongly advocate you writing to your child in a notebook or journal on a regular basis. It’s okay to be honest about what you’re feeling, what’s going on in your lives, your hopes and dreams and fears as they relate to your young kindergarten student. Here’s why I write to my kids, and you can see my son’s five year old birthday letter here.
- Realize that your child will mentally focus so much on the “new” and the “right” when at school that you might see a bit of a regression at home – this is super common but it seems like no parent knows about it. Most kids will be so intent on doing well in kindergarten – learning all the rules and routines, mastering new concepts, adjusting to new friends – that they are mentally and physically exhausted once tehy get home. Since you’re their safe space and they can be themselves around you, they’re likely to have some weak behaviors when they’re home the first few weeks. As always, try to talk to them and teach them instead of just punishing them. Though they’re not babies anymore, a kindergarten transition is huge and rocks their little world. They’re trying really hard, and they just need to be given some understanding and grace in the comfort of home. Unconditional love is irreplaceable!
- Don’t hesitate to reach out to other parents, teachers, admin, etc. – have questions? Feel lonely or sad or lost? Don’t worry about being “that mom” or “that dad” who is contacting the teacher all the time, or asks to meet the principal in person. As a teacher, I loved seeing parent emails at the beginning of the year because it usually meant “I really care a lot about my kid and I want to be sure I’m doing everything I can to help them from my end here at home.”
- Need to do more to take care of yourself? Do it! – I’m not talking self-care like a yoga class or a manicure, though that’s nice too. If you need to speak to someone like a doctor or a therapist, please do. Your child is worth having a healthy you, and you deserve it too. This is a mind-boggling adjustment for everyone.
- Read the series of letters between mom friends by Marie Levey-Pabst of Create Balance and I. We discuss all kinds of things about bullying and stereotypes, letting our children grow in their own way, and letting go of what’s not in our control as our kids get bigger. We call them “How to Protect My Child from the World” and it’s a beautiful, raw exchange. Find the first one here (there are four total).
Feel more prepared? I think we’re about as ready as we’re going to get, right? Please let me know in the comments what you think, if you have other suggestions or questions, and how I can help! Additionally, thanks so much for sharing and pinning!
Want to see more education-related articles, like free activities and lesson plans? Check out my Education category.
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