Prepping for the first day of Pre-school!!

Having taught toddlers for almost 5 years now, I look back at the humorous situations I have put my 2 sons through in order to hopefully avoid that dreaded moment where you take your kid to his first day of pre-school and he pulls a fit.

My good friend, Otto Delgado,
from Venezuela holding newborn Owen Jazz

Our first born, Owen Jazz, must have been hours old when our friends from all over the world came to see him up in the mountains of Cartago, Costa Rica. I remember quite vividly the excitement of the moment being squelched by a silly despair to see him in everyone's hands....becoming social. As he grew up to be a whopping 1 year old, I decided it was time for him to start preparing for pre-school and so I tagged him on to the back of my bicycle down to the studio where I was helping mentor teens. A marvelous plan I believed to have conjured up, 2 or more birds fed with the same seed. His presence allowed for more than one of my adolescents to get their hands on some poopy diapers for the first time and also build up collective tolerance for the hungry/sleepy baby shrilling that new parents think they will never adjust to but, by the time the second one comes around, strangely miss and secretly beg for as a chance to prove they are still fit to snooze under cacophonic conditions.

I don't regret the comedy my kids have grown up in. My wife and I, just like everyone else out there, have had to mostly guess our way through parenting as well. Nonetheless, there are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare your toddlers for that big day:

First and foremost, don't stress about the cognitive, focus on the social.

For most kids pre-school is the first serious socially diverse environment that will co-exist in after the family nest: new adult figures to tend to, vast amounts of kids to share space and attention with. Here are a few quick ideas that help get the train on track:

At the playground:

a. Take your kids frequently to public play areas, once they are comfortably feeling their nitch, carefully observe them from afar, especially watching out for their interaction with other kids and adults.

b. If conflict arises check if you really must intervene. Find time to talk in the heat of the moment but more importantly afterwards, in a self reflective manner.   

c. Feel lucky if another caring adult speaks to your child. Encourage your child to listen to other adults. The old: "Don't talk to strangers", might need a balance check.
d. How about you showing up the parents in the park by hosting a group game for the pre-schoolers? Surely they are all in need of some prepping for group games. Pre-school is full of them, and it is always clear which kids seemed to have never shared in a round of musical chairs, let alone lost!

At home:

a. Nothing better than the 2 for one deal of a babysitter: Mom and Dad get some alone time out on the town and your kids begin their process of socialization, falling asleep to another voice, stretching out their trusting beaks to our birds.
b. Board games make it so easy and fun to develop patience in your child: Wait your turn!!
c. Plan activities that foster perseverance. For example choose a puzzle your child can finish and see him/her through to the end. He will love the feeling of accomplishment and the following challenge of doing it again without mommy's help or trying a bigger puzzle.

d. Make sure that there is always ample time for your child to develop his/her own routines: time to get dressed, to finish the food, time to clean up....especially cleaning up!

Now, I am sure many of you experienced parents out there have many stories and ideas of your own to share as well. I look forward to hearing from all of you!!