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Preparing For Preschool

One of the biggest changes the pandemic has brought along with it is a complete overhaul of the education system. Online classes were and still are the norm in most countries. However, young children have had to deal with a massive change in routines without actually having any understanding of the cause. 


In the UK, nurseries and preschools shut down during the initial lockdown just like schools and universities. The difference being that the latter, owing to online teaching still had a link of some sort to their friends, teachers and so on whilst the former had no such access. It is but inevitable then that attachment to the home environment and family strengthened twofold, giving rise to the question about how these kids would settle back into physically attending nurseries or preschools. 


After having been at home for around 8 months my 3 year old had become very used to a routine at home. I tried to engage him with a variety of activities which he looked forward to. We also read a lot of books. When the government announced that it planned to reopen early years education facilities a few months down the line, I must admit I was anxious not only about how my son would adapt but also about how I would adjust to this change. 


Although intense at times, as is the case when you are looking after 2 kids 3yrs and under without any help whatsoever, we had become comfortable with our existence. It was nice having him around and to see him bonding with his baby brother was heartening. The time for him to resume preschool, a new one at that (thanks to our move) was slowly bearing upon us. Preparing and planning is second nature to me and I have seen that a similar approach works with my son too. So, here are a few things I consciously did to prepare him for the big day. 


Talking about it : This may sound very basic but it’s so important. Making references to the new preschool in everyday conversation slowly helped him to expect that change in the near future. He sometimes would even say “I will do xyz at new nursery”. So I would like to believe that this approach worked well for him. 


Books : Books have always been my go to for any important and/or stressful situation  and they have never failed to envelop me in a blanket of warmth and security. I am pleased to see my son seeking solace in books too so we read a few books about going to nursery/preschool/school. Our absolute favourites here include ‘Goat Goes To Playgroup’ , ‘Bug School’ and ‘Dragon Goes To School’. I highly recommend all these books for their clear, engaging language and cheerful illustrations. 


New Bag & Clothes : To get him excited about his new preschool, I involved him in selecting a bag that he would take along with him. He was extremely pleased about this. The same applied to clothes too. He chose pants, tees etc and even unwrapped the package when it arrived. This process helped create a sense of ownership in his little mind and definitely aided his smooth progression into preschool.

 

Timings at preschool : I found out timings for lunch, tea, snacks and so on and tried to replicate these at home a month before he started preschool. This helped his body clock to adapt better.


It’s been just over 3 weeks today that my preschooler started a new chapter in his life and I’m mighty pleased that he’s doing very well. Three cheers to achieving this! Hip, hip, Hurray!!


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