How to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten
Have a positive attitude about learning opportunities like kindergarten., Foster your child’s independence., Encourage interactions with other children., Be supportive., Discipline your child appropriately., Set expectations., Try to be a good role...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Have a positive attitude about learning opportunities like kindergarten.
An excitement for school has to be nurtured.
Begin to encourage your child to appreciate learning opportunities at an early age.
Let your child explore her environment and encourage her to ask questions.
Positivity extends to appreciating and admiring your child’s work, whether that work is a mud cake, a macaroni necklace, or a finger painting.
Praise her abilities and creativity in order to inspire her to gain the confidence to try new things. -
Step 2: Foster your child’s independence.
Having a sense of independence will help your child to succeed when she goes off to kindergarten.
Teach your child self care skills when she is a toddler.
Teach her how to put away her own toys and dress herself.
Giving your child the freedom to make decisions for herself, such as what to wear or what she wants for dinner, will encourage her to develop an independent spirit that will serve her well.
When allowing your child to choose things, give her options to choose from, that way you can still be met with the outcome you want, while also giving your child a bit of freedom. , Support your child in meeting new friends and trusted adults.
When she does interact with others, use the interaction to teach your child how to share and discourage bad behaviors like hitting or yelling.
Provide your child with the opportunity to have social interactions by:
Taking her to playgrounds where she can meet other children.
Setting up playdates.
Hosting parties for your child where both children and their parents are invited. , Let your child know that she has your support by encouraging her questions and praising her abilities.
Being supportive of your child can help to develop her self confidence so that she can overcome the challenges she will face in kindergarten.
Give your child plenty of hugs and kisses, particularly when she does something well. , Administering fair discipline will help your child to learn to control herself while also developing a sense of responsibility.
Having a structure (including a system of discipline) can help your child to make sense of the world.
When disciplining your child, always remember to criticize the bad behavior and not your child (for example, say “I am not angry at you but I am not pleased with the way you have thrown your food all over the floor”.) Even if you are angry, show your child that you still respect her and love her.
Give your child reasons for why you got mad and be prepared to listen to her side of the story.
Teach her the proper way to react next time. , Talk to your child about the expectations that you have for her and her time in kindergarten.
You can tell her that you expect her to be a good student, to listen to her teachers, and to be a kind person to her friends.
Show your enthusiasm for the new things she is about to learn and experience when outlining these expectations. , You are the greatest influence on your child’s life.
As such, it is important to try to act in the way that you want your child to act.
Make sure to keep negative thoughts to yourself.
Be a good example by:
Showing respect for others.
Being compassionate.
Showing excitement about learning new things.
Reading and doing creative activities like painting.
Taking care of yourself and your appearance. -
Step 3: Encourage interactions with other children.
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Step 4: Be supportive.
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Step 5: Discipline your child appropriately.
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Step 6: Set expectations.
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Step 7: Try to be a good role model.
Detailed Guide
An excitement for school has to be nurtured.
Begin to encourage your child to appreciate learning opportunities at an early age.
Let your child explore her environment and encourage her to ask questions.
Positivity extends to appreciating and admiring your child’s work, whether that work is a mud cake, a macaroni necklace, or a finger painting.
Praise her abilities and creativity in order to inspire her to gain the confidence to try new things.
Having a sense of independence will help your child to succeed when she goes off to kindergarten.
Teach your child self care skills when she is a toddler.
Teach her how to put away her own toys and dress herself.
Giving your child the freedom to make decisions for herself, such as what to wear or what she wants for dinner, will encourage her to develop an independent spirit that will serve her well.
When allowing your child to choose things, give her options to choose from, that way you can still be met with the outcome you want, while also giving your child a bit of freedom. , Support your child in meeting new friends and trusted adults.
When she does interact with others, use the interaction to teach your child how to share and discourage bad behaviors like hitting or yelling.
Provide your child with the opportunity to have social interactions by:
Taking her to playgrounds where she can meet other children.
Setting up playdates.
Hosting parties for your child where both children and their parents are invited. , Let your child know that she has your support by encouraging her questions and praising her abilities.
Being supportive of your child can help to develop her self confidence so that she can overcome the challenges she will face in kindergarten.
Give your child plenty of hugs and kisses, particularly when she does something well. , Administering fair discipline will help your child to learn to control herself while also developing a sense of responsibility.
Having a structure (including a system of discipline) can help your child to make sense of the world.
When disciplining your child, always remember to criticize the bad behavior and not your child (for example, say “I am not angry at you but I am not pleased with the way you have thrown your food all over the floor”.) Even if you are angry, show your child that you still respect her and love her.
Give your child reasons for why you got mad and be prepared to listen to her side of the story.
Teach her the proper way to react next time. , Talk to your child about the expectations that you have for her and her time in kindergarten.
You can tell her that you expect her to be a good student, to listen to her teachers, and to be a kind person to her friends.
Show your enthusiasm for the new things she is about to learn and experience when outlining these expectations. , You are the greatest influence on your child’s life.
As such, it is important to try to act in the way that you want your child to act.
Make sure to keep negative thoughts to yourself.
Be a good example by:
Showing respect for others.
Being compassionate.
Showing excitement about learning new things.
Reading and doing creative activities like painting.
Taking care of yourself and your appearance.
About the Author
Lisa Ferguson
Committed to making cooking accessible and understandable for everyone.
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