What age does kid start preschool? 5 factors to consider for preschoolers
The maternal bond!
The breast feeding and the maternal bond cannot be over taken over and should not be.So children are scared to be away from the mother at this stage.
Which will eventually disappear as they learn gradually that you both are different individuals.
Trust me you will also learn a lot of things along and will become wiser to tackle such situations.
I remember, I had to rush to the school from work as my son became unmanageable at times and the care in school thought that it is about time, the child should be back to the mother. So be prepared for such extreme situations as well.
Not trying to scare you but to prepare the new parents for the times to come.
I guess she got so involved to observe the new environment that she forgot that she is away from me in just a few days. So every child is different and will react differently.
Do not get yourself in panic mode whatever the situation is. It is important for you to be calm and composed for the sake of the preschooler as she learns this behavior gradually even though it is not visible.
Make the transition from infant to toddler to preschooler a fun experience for both you and the child.
As this website is dedicated to prepare you for most situations in parenthood, I will share whatever I have learnt in all these years from mine and other’s experiences.
I have also read several articles on this subject to prepare myself for the situations.
The most important thing that will help you throughout this journey is to anticipate and be prepared.
Specially if you both are working parents, you need preparation and planning all the more.
What age does kid start preschool? Why preschooling?
Generally the age between three and five years is the preschooling age in india.
Though there is a range, before you ask,”what age does kid start preschool”, check if the child can adapt to a new environment for few hours.
Preschool kids are more prepared for the years ahead and will make your life easier.
You will also get a lot more time to try out various things which you couldn’t since you became a new parent.
Kids learn new things, make friends, become social and more curious individuals over all.
Preschool education is a very important step in my experience.
Education is generally structured and more methodical that what you can do at home.
So as a result preschool kids learn faster and because of repetitive learning, they get into a habit of implementing what they have learnt.
Pre schooling your child will also help you in parenting as it gives a direction to the development to the child.
You will see various new development like fine motor skills, interest in listening to stories, new found confidence and independence.
You are going to love all this as parents you will know how to build on it.
This will be instinctive but you Childs new development will surprise you too!
How to decide the preschool?
- The distance from your residence and the drop and pick up ease (Remember this is going to be an everyday activity)
- Take feedback from locals
- Visit yourself and check the hygiene of the school premises including the washrooms and kitchen if any.
- Check how many child they permit in each group( The adult to child ratio is something to be considered)
- Check if they have trained professionals to take care of emergencies like first aids and emergency medication)
- Cost of preschool(It is unto you if you want a fancy one which will cost more. In my personal experience if they have dedicated adults who love training children’s more important than aesthetics of the school)
- Dedicated staff (You can make out once you visit them and take a feedback from other parents)
- Check if their washrooms are kid friendly
- Check if they have the proper certifications to run a preschool of their catagory.
- One important thing that many miss out is to see if the premises has sufficient natural light. This is important for your Childs physical and mental well being. I have seen play schools with dark and small rooms which are not good for kids.
- Check for the safety of the pick and drop vans (if you opt for one). It is mandatory for an adult to be present with the kids apart from the driver. It is best if the vans are GPS enabled even if sometimes they are not.
How to settle your child in preschool and what age does kid start preschooling
♥Make going to school FUN!♥
- A week before the kiddo starts her first preschool day, talk to her about the new fun place called school and what all she can expect happening there. She should be between 3 and 5 years to make sense of what you say!
- Make it sound exciting to you 3+ year old, so that the child knows school as a positive and happy place.
- Basically this way you are preparing your child and her expectations will be set right for the days to come and chances are there that she will not be too overwhelmed.
- Visit the school once or twice before the actual start day, so she knows how the surroundings look. For kids who are between 3 and 4 years, this step is even more important. They have seen the world lot lesser.
- Explain to her that the school rule is that all kids must be only with the school staff and friends and there will be no parents allowed. Also make sure that she understands that this rule is applicable to all her friends too.
- Talk to her about bunch of cool friends she will make and how much fun this is going to be.
- Take her for school shopping. Kids are always excited about new possessions. Do not let her use the school bad, lunch box, water bottle before she actually starts school.This will she will have something to look forward to!
How to settle your child in preschool and what age does kid start preschooling
♥Make her first week easy going♥
- Dress her in comfortable clothing that are easy to change.
- Drop and pick her up yourself the first week and explain to her, it is going to change a few days later(ie if you plan any outside help for her pick and drop).
- Pack her favorite food in her new lunch box. Clidren between 3 and 5 years are often particular of food items.
- Give her a warm bath before she leaves for school. This soothes them physically, so they are less cranky.
- Always talk to her about how she spent her day in school.
- Tell her that you are very proud of the fact that she is grown up and going to school now. They love to grow up. Show her that schooling is for grown up kids.
- If you have a neighbor who she is friends with, talk supremely about her when she is listening…all about how she spends her day in school.
How to settle your child in preschool and what age does kid start preschooling
♥Be Ready to handle the sickness♥
Children fall sick very often just after they start school, especially the preschoolers or kinder-garden age group between 3 years and 5 years.
This is simply because they were never exposed to so many humans around them, might be some of them caring that cold or cough.
But that’s absolutely normal and at this age they should get used to these germs and the body should know how to deal with.
All I am trying to say here is you need to be prepared as a parent when the cold , cough, fever , stomach bug appears.
Take them to her pediatrician. Along with her medication if any ,try home remedies for such usual baby sickness.
They can be handled much better if you follow the tested traditional home remedies as they very often boost the natural immunity.
After a child starts school the wisest thing to do is boosting her natural immunity in the form of food.
I recommend you can give her natural immunity boosting foods in small quantities regularly.
I personally did this when my children were that age and trust me it helps. Small steps taken at the right time can save you lot of troubles.
Some immunity boosting foods that you can give to your child who just starts school are:
- Almonds
- Gooseberries
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Yogurt
- Edible seeds like – Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds etc
- Sweet potato during winters
We have some amazing kids recipes with these wonder foods to make your life easier.
4.Things you should keep handy at all times when your kid is in preschool
- The Phone numbers and Email IDs of the school, the principal, Teacher(If available) or any other staff. You should be able to reach them whenever you want.
- If your child is availing school transport, you MUST be having their details like, car number, driver and helpers number or any other tracking mechanism if available
- Find out a clinic, hospital or nursing home which is closest to the preschool. It is a good savior in times of emergencies. Anything beyond first aid needs a medical practitioner. Save the number.
- You should be aware of the policies and rules of the school as maintained by them.
5.Developments you can expect in preschools
So what exactly can you expect from a preschool? What are the main developmental milestones that the school helps achieve?
- Children learn to conduct themselves in big groups and Cognitive development is one of the focus.
- Your child will also hopefully learn to conduct herself better in a social environment. This is where they learn to interact with peers while they are supervised by adults.
- Fine motor skills develop in children as they take part in various planned activities and play, that are designed to help them better their motor skills.
- The child will be developed for structured schooling ahead.
- Your child will have better public speaking skills through the various activities that are done regularly in preschool and are a part of the curriculum.
- Preschoolers can handle emotions better.
- They will develop writing skills by the time they join main school.
Pre schooling is an important part in your Childs life. As we become busier, we get to spend lesser time with our young ones.
Specially structured regular routine becomes difficult to follow for a long period of time as we ourselves are tired after work and pre-occupied with day to day chores.
This is why it becomes more important that your toddler should be pre schooled. This will prepare her for the times to come. What the child learns at this stage will help till they are in teenage years and probably beyond.
Research has shown that children who are schooled in good pre schooled often do well in academics later.
Separation anxiety is something you might need to deal with for few days in the beginning.
But if you follow the suggestions in this article, you will be much at ease.
So go ahead!!
Happy Parenting!!
