Dear Kerry,
I’m a stay-at-home mom of twin boys and I knew starting preschool would be difficult for them to deal with. New places, new faces, a new routine, and the absence of mom would be a lot for them to digest. So, I decided that instead of dreading this wonderful event in the lives of my boys, I would embrace it with Love and Logic® parenting. Following are some ideas that were a success for me and my boys for a happy start at preschool. I hope your readers find them useful.
Loads of Love
Before we head to class, I gave each of them plenty of hugs and kisses. Not just a few, I overloaded them with lots of love, snuggles, hugs, and kisses. I keep asking them if they had gotten enough to last until pickup time. I also asked if I could give one more kiss on their nose, forehead, cheek, chin, and so forth. I just want to make sure that they were covered from head to toe in love. When they decided that they had received enough love to make it through the day, I would take them to class.
Don’t forget to check out our most popular article: 5 Ways to Stop Preschool Drop-Off Separation Anxiety
Practice Makes Perfect
In order to get my boys accustomed to a new experience, I decided to practice the preschool routine in an effort to turn their jitters into joy. I held preschool practice sessions on days when my boys didn’t have to go to school. From walking out the door with backpacks in hand to walking into the classroom and saying goodbye. So, my boys became familiar with the process and what to expect. I documented this process with lots of pictures. This helps them to remember our practice routine and show my boys how to successfully arrive at preschool with zero anxiety and fuss.
Preschool Platter
Another great idea that worked well for my boys was a menu board. The board showed pictures ranging from a crying and screaming child that’s holding his mother’s leg to a happy and hopping child that was glad to be going to school. There was enough variety on the board that my boys could plan out their week of going to school. This allowed them to decide how they wanted to arrive at school. If either boy fussed on day one, I would offer a reminder that we’re “happy and hopping into class today” and that “crying and fussing” isn’t on the menu until Wednesday. This was a perfect way to create a positive experience while having fun.
Last, I found the following books to be helpful; “The Kissing Hand”, “The Invisible String” and “I Love You All Day Long”. They were great tools that prepared my boys for preschool while helping them to understand and enjoy the experience. I hope these ideas are helpful for a happy start at preschool!
