Am I crazy to actually being excited for this whole kindergarten thing without too much drama?! How was that I, the only person in my son’s world who has spent near to every hour with him daily, am the less stressed out?
Although I will be sharing tears when I walk him with a cute backpack to the kindergarten, those won’t be the “will miss you” tears. It will be because I would be so proud of his brave heart walking to the unknown. Such a big boy, right?!
Also, I have work to do and a lot of planned projects coming. So I’m excited for myself too. I thought I would use some extra time alone for a long time now!
Surely, most of my excitement is purely about him starting a new chapter, socializing, learning things, having fun and surviving. This month’s our main goal will be: preparing him for the kindergarten the best we can.
– Related: Productive Mom Morning Routine –
Kindergarten ready: Can your kids do these?
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To survive kindergarten, there’s only ONE SKILL your kid will need and it’s CONFIDENCE.
But to help them build confidence, you want to make sure they can do certain things on their own.
So let’s get through my kindergarten ready TENS, can your kids do the following?
1 Tell their first and last name (and their parents’ names).
2 Put on/off their clothes, use the toilet and wash hands.
3 Brush their teeth and blow their nose.
4 Recognise some letters, numbers, shapes and colours.
5 Cut with scissors, use stickers, draw and write with crayons.
6 Run, jump, play with a ball.
7 Recognise basic children songs (like B-Day song).
8 Share with friends, wait in line and care about the feelings of others.
9 Spend time without parents.
10 Follow safety rules and listen to simple commands.
I know this may sound too much, especially if your kid is, like mine, less than 4-years-old. But with time, it gets easier to naturally teach them stuff.
For instance, I had no idea my kid knows the ABC song until one day, he sang it to me. And I could never realise he would do so well (and also stay motivated and interested in it) in learning the life cycle of frog, butterfly, chicken and human.
All until I’ve decided to give it a go and try out this Montessori workbook.
– Here’s where you can find how we’re using it. –
Anyways, back to the kindergarten topic. He starts this March and it’s his first time, so there’s so much we have to go through. Here are simple things we all can practise with our kids to help them be ready for kindergarten!
1 Time the routine at least one month before.
We should make a routine transition if there’ll be any changes, easier for them. Unlike the past routine, which we’ve tried to follow just until a month ago, there are few things to change.
We’ve decided to ditch the naptime, but change the wakeup hour from 6 AM to 7 AM (he’ll start the kindergarten at 9 AM). This way, there’ll be enough time to eat breakfast peacefully, do the learning activity for the day, cuddle with both parents and get ready on his own.
To make it no pressure, I suggest you try the new routine out at least one month before. Also, a piece of golden advice: track how much time does anything you’ll do in the mornings acquire (even the time you need to walk/ride the kid to destination).
2 Talk and listen carefully.
Not all children have experience with groups and group rules and routines. So the best way is to prepare them for what they can expect. Know the rules of the place you’ve chosen for your kid and try them out at home.
Talk about what they can expect of teachers, make sure they know who are teachers and why it’s important to listen to them. Share your experiences, good and bad, talk about sharing toys, waiting in line, how to make friends the easiest way. You know, whatever you think might be a dilemma to them.
3 Encourage independence.
This one’s huge. Independent kids are confident kids and confidence is one of the most important surviving tools. Ever since we’ve decided on Montessori-inspired childhood (he’ll also attend Montessori kindergarten) for our boy, we’ve done whatever we could to encourage independence.
Of course, you must not ask of them to choose between everything and every minute of the day, since that would be overwhelming. But to use the toilet, wash hands or brush their teeth on their own.
I know squeezing the toothbrush, buttons and zippers might be a problem. But hey, buy or make them a Montessori board or encourage them to squeeze fruits and make a yummy juice on their own. It does take time, but they’ll master it eventually.
Do not ever feed them again, do not rush them (but dedicate enough time to getting ready so they can do it on their own). Let them help you in the kitchen and don’t fear the mess. Eventually, your hard work will pay off.
4 Read every day.
It’s not like being eloquent isn’t a trend anymore! Books are oh.so.very.important! Books improve language skills and teach kids different life situations and how to handle them correctly in a fun way!
You remember when I said kindergarten is all about surviving and to survive there’s only one important skill you’ll need: confidence. Although I do stand close to that statement, I never said it’s easy to build it.
But eloquence means you’re probably smarter than them and even on days when not, you know how to cope. I had no idea how to do parenting if I haven’t learned it through someone else’s experience and proven science which I found in a book.
Whenever I know enough about what I’m talking to anyone (I’ve prepared myself through books), I’m confident to talk out loud. So read to your kids. Five minutes of your day now and you’ll create a gorgeous future for them.
5 Socialize.
I fear socializing myself, but I try as much as I can not raise a child who fears humans. Even though I spotted he’s an introvert (like my husband and me), I hope I’m enough positive about people and the importance of having them around.
So this month, I won’t get myself playing with him and his friends, but I’ll be a silent observer instead. I’m also trying to encourage him to talk more with adults he’s known for some time now.
6 Large group games and learning games.
It would make their life a whole lot easy if you teach them some basic rules that well-known large group games have. For example, play hide and seek or hopscotch.
Also, to help kids learn colour shades, counting, the ABC song and similar things that are basic knowledge, I suggest you play games. My son has learnt all the letters with his wooden ABC board toy when he way at age 1. We also played letter chase game and similar games that make learning fun.
7 Leave them alone with other adults in their life.
It could be your parents, a babysitter or an aunt. The point is, as you already know, to build their confidence whoever they’re around with.
Never lie to your kid about when you go out and always say precisely when you’ll be coming back. This way, they know that, no matter what, you’ll reunite again.
That was the only tactic I ever used with my son and he has learnt easily not to cry when I have to go. One night, he had a sleepover at my parents’ house and how surprised everyone was how he behaved well. He also asked of them to correctly follow his night routine!
There you have it! That’s how I handle the drama the easy way! Any thoughts and you’ll make us all happy!
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