First Day of Preschool

This is a good article for parents leaving children for the first time. There are bound to be mixed feelings, and they are feelings you just don't forget. Going off to school for the first time is a necessary step even though it's painful. You can wait and wait to do it like some parents who hold children back, but eventually it's a necessary step. Quite frankly, the earlier you do it, the easier it is just like toilet training.

Greenwood Index Journal

Preschool transition can prove stressful
August 4, 2006

By MEGAN VARNER Senior staff writer

The first day of school holds excitement for many young children, and they eagerly await the day they’ll get to play with their new classmates or create colorful artwork to hang on the family refrigerator.

But for children who are beginning preschool, that first day can be filled with anxiety and fear as their parents leave them behind for the first time, and area preschool directors said that initial separation can often be as stressful for parents.

“It’s worse on the parents than the child sometimes, especially if the child has been at home with them all those years,” said Kim Pruitt, director for the Emerald Day Care Learning Center in Greenwood. “All children react differently (on that first day). Some will come in and not have a care in the world, and then some will come in and want to cry and cling to their parent.”

An article on the Preschoolers Today’s Web site, designed for parents of young children, said new preschoolers can be distressed about beginning a new routine with new people, which can leave the child clinging to a parent or even throwing a temper tantrum.

“It’s stressful, especially if it is an only child,” said Thelma Griffin, director with the Little Lamb Montessori Preschool in Greenwood. “In about 75 percent of the children, crying is involved, but it doesn’t take long for them to quit crying.”

The Preschooler’s Today Web site article said a visit to the preschool before the first day arrives is a great way for parents to ease their child’s — and their own — separation anxiety, and local preschool directors agreed that touring the facility and meeting with teachers is an important step in making a smooth transition.

“The parents should always go in and look around to see how the classes are done,” Pruitt said. “You need to give them some time to ease in before you put them in all day.”

Parents also can talk with their children about what preschool is about, giving them an idea of what they can expect when they enter the classroom for the first time, Griffin said.

“You’ve got to prepare them mentally that this is school and that it is where they belong, it is where they’ll learn,” Griffin said. “You get them in that routine.”

The ABC Home Preschool Web site offers more suggestions for easing the transition from home to school, including using small treats and surprises as rewards for completing a day of preschool. The treats also give the child something to look forward to at the end of the day, the site said. The child might also be able to take a small item to school that reminds him of a parent, which can give the child a sense of closeness to the parent.

The Web site also suggests that parents read their child bedtime stories that focus on daycare or preschool, which could help the child understand that he is not alone in being nervous about his new environment.

For those moms and dads who still worry, many local preschools have an open-door policy that allows parents to call or drop by to check on their child throughout the day. Little Lamb Montessori is working on installing a system that would use cameras in classrooms to allow parents to watch their children and eventually log onto the Internet to check on their little ones, Griffin said. Many parents come into the center to watch the video, she said, adding that parents “love it.”

But Pruitt cautioned that coming back to the center to see the child might backfire for the parent. If the child sees the parent, it could start a new cycle of separation anxiety just as they were adjusting, she said.

Even if there are tears at first, Pruitt said many children adapt quickly to their new role as preschoolers.“A lot of it is just pulling on mom and dad’s heartstrings,” she said, laughing. “They’ll cry, and it kills mom and dad, but as soon as the parents walk out, they’ll stop.”