This post is sponsored by Moose Toys, an Australian-based brand that’s on a mission to make children happy with their innovative designed toys. I’m so happy to partner with them to help make the school transition easier for your babies. As always, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
Parenthood: You start out in the trenches of endless nights of no sleep and move to these little creatures with loads of personality and sass. You find yourself a new best friend that fills your days with so much joy. Then before you know it your little one is off to school and if you’re anything like me you spend the day crying into a pillow haha.
Preschool and Kindergarten are such milestone moments in any child’s life. They are exposed to a whole new world where they get a taste of independence and they discover the great big world without mom and dad. But that time can also be scary for your little one, too. Both of my kids were extremely nervous when they started both preschool and Kindergarten. As a parent, I was nervous for them. Would they know I’m only a call away? Do they miss me? Are they going to be ok without me? The fear was intense. Which is why I came up with some tips for starting preschool and Kindergarten.
I remember the first time I dropped Keatyn off at her preschool. I sat in the parking lot and cried for like 30 minutes. Then came Kindergarten a few years later. I was just as sad but held it together. Now I’m experiencing the same with Charlie and it stings even more knowing she’s our last baby. It’s hard to let go of your kids and accept that a time will come when they need you less and less.
So how can you ease this turning point in their lives?
Tips for Starting Preschool and Kindergarten
- Prep your child for preschool or Kindergarten. Read books to them about starting school. Also play imaginary school with their favorite stuffed animals so they get an idea of what their day is going to look like.
- PUMP IT UP! You may be crying on the inside but don’t let your kiddo sense that energy. Put on your happy face and talk up how amazing and fun school is going to be for them, how many friends they’re going to make and how proud you are of them.
- Send a photo of your family in their backpack or lunch box. That way your child can feel reassured throughout the day.
- Get there early or make sure you go to the Open House so she/he can get familiarized with their surroundings. We took Charlie most recently to preschool to the pseudo MDO so she could see her classroom and get to know the teachers just a little bit before she started her first full day. It definitely helped her ease into the process.
- Get them a special “welcome back to school” toy. We just got both kids the Kindi Kids dolls to help them prep for the school year. Kindi Kids is Moose Toys’ (the maker of famous toys like Shopkins) first preschool toy and are designed to help make going to preschool/kindergarten less scary and show just how fun it can be. Kindi Kids are four fun characters like Marsha Mello, Jessicake, Peppa-Mint and Donatina (we have Jessicake and Marsha Mello). As soon as they saw the dolls with their cute bobble heads and giant glittery eyes, their little faces LIT up with joy. Also the dolls live in a place called Rainbow Kindi, and my girls especially love playing with the Supermarket Playset. The market comes with food-themed accessories like a bowl of cereal that magically disappears from its spoon when the doll takes a bite. Keatyn was excitedly telling her Pops all about that when she Facetimed him this weekend. They had so much fun using their imagination and as a parent, I loved watching the bond they had playing together. Kindi Kids are such a great back to school toy to help guide your child into a world of unlimited possibilities and imagination and realize their potential. You can find them at all major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target and more.
That sums it up. If you have any tips for starting preschool and Kindergarten, please drop them in the comments below. Best of luck mommas, I hope these tips have helped and sending you all the love during this back to school season.