Getting Kids Preschool Ready Post-Pandemic

Is your little one starting preschool this fall? After a year of quarantine and restrictions, preschool could be an overwhelming experience for your littles. Thankfully, there are simple and fun ways to getting kids preschool ready post-pandemic. 

This past year has been a year filled with losses, including  loss of education and loss of social interactions.  And in every family each member has been grappling with the situation in her own way and at their own pace, including the children. Surprisingly, they are the ones who are doing the best.

However, what if you have a young child just coming out of this pandemic and ready to start school for the very first time? Those are two big life changes overlapping with each other. Preschool is a wonderful opportunity for a child to explore and learn along with forming new friendships. In normal circumstances, most children would embrace it with unbound enthusiasm. But after this past year, some might need a little help from parents and other caregivers. By making this change a little more gradual we can give them the time to adapt to this new world confidently.

Social and Separation Anxiety

Some small children have never been to grocery stores or other public places due to the pandemic. Being in a room full of strangers may be tough for them.  With the restrictions easing up, take your child to a few outdoor places which are not overly crowded. Start with an outdoor kids concert, play date in a park or the beach, or a visit to the farmers market. Then take them indoors to a less crowded place like the library. You will see the hesitation ease after a few visits.

It will be absolutely great if you can plan play dates with a future classmate before the preschool actually begins. This way your child  can always associate preschool to just another place where she would meet her friend.

Have your child watched  over by a friend or grand parent for small increments of time so as to get her over the separation anxiety gradually. Try not to fret too much for these little wonders will eventually embrace this new experience too.

Learning at home

Health and Wellness

Communication

Gratitude

Our Story

So, I decided to enroll my daughter to a preschool program. A few weeks before, a cousin was visiting from LA. We planned for a nice dinner at a Thai place in uptown. We all were so excited for our first dinner outing since the pandemic. My daughter took one look at the crowded restaurant, proceeded to sit on the sidewalk and refused to go inside. “Oh WOW! Is this how it is going to be?!“ was my reaction.

Cut to the first day of preschool. With wide-eyed curiosity, little M pushed the door open for the first time to her preschool. Two hours later she emerged with the biggest smile and even did a little dance on her way out. I was over the moon that my little girl had found her second home. As she spotted our car parked in the lot, realization dawned that the fun day at school was over. Sitting cross-legged on the sidewalk for the next 20 mins, she refused to leave her preschool. I was exasperated, amused, and baffled –  “Oh WOW! Is this how it’s going to be!”