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How to Get Your Child Ready for Kindergarten

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Are you sending off a little one to kindergarten this fall like me? I’ve been thinking about it for a while now with mixed emotions and so has my son!

Today, I’ve got a super roundup of fantastic posts from moms who’ve been there (many of whom are actually teachers too). I’ve organized posts into those things that you can do to prepare your child, things you can do to prepare yourself, and advice and ideas for the first day.

Ready for Kindergarten

Amazon Affiliate links are included in this post. Please see Disclosure for details. 

Preparing Your CHILD for Kindergarten

Before you start reading these posts, please remember that kids start school at different ages depending on where they live.

There’s a huge gap between here in Ontario, Canada where my son will start Junior Kindergarten on his 4th birthday, and other countries which might start at age 5 or even close to 6!

My Tips

When I met the kindergarten teachers at my son’s school at a meet and greet night, they said they’d be happy if our kids could:

  1. Open their own lunch containers,
  2. Put on their own coats and shoes,
  3. Be as independent as possible in the bathroom, and
  4. Be able to talk about their feelings.

So – I bought some easy to twist-off lunch containers which we’ve been using for snacks and picnics for the last few months (check off #1!).

We’re still working on putting on shoes without squishing the back flat (we might have to buy some slip ons for the fall- yikes!).

Bathroom’s going well – thank goodness!

And we’ve been working on the feelings thing since I learned about positive parenting. Check out our recent posts on Teaching Kids About Feelings and Best Parent Resources to Teach About Feelings.

Other Awesome Posts With Tips for Preparing the Kids

Ready for Kindergarten?: A Kid’s Perspective | Rubber Boots and Elf Shoes
Getting Ready for School Top Tips | The Mud Kitchen
Tips to Prepare Your Child for School | Mosswood Connections
Skill Building Activities for Kids Heading to KG | Get Ready to Read
10 Things Your Child Needs to Know Before KG | Play to Learn Preschool
11 Tips for Preparing Kids for Starting School | East Coast Mommy
Starting School for Children on the Autistic Spectrum | In The Playroom
Top Tips for Starting School From a Teacher-Parent | The Imagination Tree
7 Activities We Do Every Day to Prepare for Kindergarten | Teaching Mama
What Does My Child Need to Know Before Kindergarten? | Raising Little Super Heroes
12 Tips for Easing Separation Anxiety | Childhood 101
6 Tips for Starting Kindergarten | Simple Kids

Preparing YOURSELF for Kindergarten

My Tips for Preparing Yourself

Who am I kidding? I have NO idea how to prepare myself – that’s why I did this roundup to get lots of great ideas from moms who have been there! That being said, a friend gave me a great idea that I think will help a lot this fall.

Because Onetime will be heading off to KG at the same time that I’ll be returning to teaching full-time, I’m a little worried about how the drastic change is going to affect my stress levels – and my son’s!

Here’s the great idea (thanks Sofia!): we are going to send Onetime to full-time daycare the week before school starts so that he can adjust to the new routines, and so that I can adjust before the big official “first day” where I’ll be back to work and he’ll be at school.

(Note: Onetime is already at daycare 2 full days a week now and the daycare is going to be providing before and after school care for him during the school year – so this makes sense for us.)

For other general back to school tips from a teacher’s point of view, read my First Week Back to School: 5 Things Teachers Want Parents to Know.

And if you’re sending off a child with severe food allergies – please read my How to Keep Your Allergic Child Safe at School: Questions to Ask and 5 Ways to Prepare an Allergic Child for School (both posts include printables that will help keep your kids safe!)

Other Great Tips for Preparing Yourself

12 Things Your Child’s Kindergarten Teacher Will Tell You | Makeovers and Motherhood

Parents – This One’s For You | Rubber Boots and Elf Shoes

Getting to Know My Child: A Guide for My Child’s Kindergarten Teacher | Ready to Read

On the First Day

I’m really kind of dreading that first “real” day that my son goes to school (thank goodness it won’t be MY first day back at least.)

Why? Not really for sentimental reasons, but more because I know that I won’t be actually walking him to school, or picking him up there. The before and after-care workers will be doing that part. Ahhh, the mommy guilt – does it ever end?

Even after 4 years of being at home with him full-time, I still feel sad that I’ll miss that special drop off….

I found all these tips and ideas helpful: Separation Anxiety and Coping with Tears| The Mud Kitchen The First Day of Kindergarten: A Mom’s Survival Guide | ElemenoP Kids Lunchbox Love Notes Printable | Makeovers and Motherhood Back to School Letter | Growing Book by Book 10 Creative Photo Ideas for the First Day of School | iVillage.ca

How are you feeling about “Back to School” this year? Do you have any great tips to share or are you feeling a little anxious like me? Please leave me a comment below

Remember to follow me on Facebook and Twitter!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Shelah says

    So many resources to help parents and teachers prepare kids to go back to school. Transitions are so much easier with a little preparation.

  5. Debarshi Das says

    This is an awesome giveaway, and I would like to win this, so I can use this for thomas and friends and garth brooks. 🙂

  6. rachel cartucci says

    I would love to win to get school supplies for my son off Amazon. I home school my 7 year old autistic son…and we could use lots of supplies.

  10. Susan D says

    Any help with back to school supplies and clothes is huge! As for getting a child ready to start school- I think starting the morning routine early is super important. I learned from experience … a very old experience of my own! It’s actually one of the only things I remember from when I was five years old. I was super excited to start school way back in the day, I had my school supplies, my clothes, I was excited to get new crayons, books, etc… then on the big day I had a complete and total meltdown. I remember screaming and crying and whining all morning – I think I was disoriented by the change in routine, or more likely, the sudden realization that there WAS a strict routine. My mom finally got me to school and I was a mess. I actually remember relentlessly telling my mom, “I’m tired!”, “I’m hungry!”, “My tummy hurts!”, “I’m thirsty!”, “I don’t wanna be here!”… anything to convince her to take me home. Needless to say, that terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day ended and I adjusted well – but I didn’t make it easy for anyone!

  11. Kelly D says

    I would love to win because my kids will be getting their school supply lists soon and this would help purchase many of the needed items.

  12. Erin Ellis says

    I would love to win so that I could stock up on school supplies! Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
    Erin

  13. becky says

    I would love to win this contest because Amazon always saves the day when we need something. As my twins enter kindergarten this fall I’m sure Amazon will help us fulfill all our back to school needs!

  14. Ashley C says

    My son is starting preschool this year and we have yet to get his school list yet so I still have shopping to do!

    demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com

  16. Carolsue says

    I would like to win this contest because I could put it towards a tablet which my son wants/needs for school.

  18. Amanda Whitley says

    i would love to win because my sons birthday just passed and i couldn’t afford to get him anything and it would be nice to surprise him with something after all.

  19. Sandi says

    Thanks for including our Parents – This One’s for You post. And I fully agree with your child’s teacher – I would like my kids to be independent in the bathroom and in getting their lunch food ready to eat, and be willing to communicate their needs and feelings. Academics will come. Best wishes on both of your “first days”.

    • Sue Lively says

      Thanks so much Sandi! I really appreciate you dropping by and I love your blog – so many great ideas and you really show a deep understanding of kids. I’ll be frequenting your site a lot this fall as I’ll be teaching some Kindergarten classes (for the first time!) as a part of my new Librarian teaching position. Thanks for the best wishes – hope you have a wonderful start up as well! Best, Sue

  22. Cori says

    I’m nervous for kindergarten, my little girl will still be three in September and I’ve mostly been a stay at home mom. We need all the new school stuff so a gift card would be lovely, thanks!

  23. Amy Orvin says

    I would love to win simply because I love shopping on Amazon. They have some great deals!

  25. kim m says

    I would buy my children lunchboxes. As they are on strict food restrictions and will be taking lunch everyday.

  26. Allison Taylor says

    Kindergarten was last year for us, and I really wasn’t prepared and neither was my child. I wish that I had come across a post like this last year! Good stuff.

    • Sue Lively says

      Awww..sounds like it was a tough transition for you all. I hope things go better this fall for you Allison. Thanks for dropping by and good luck with the contest!

  27. Katie says

    What a helpful post, with some of my favorite links and some great new ones! We are always looking to purchase meaningful homeschool supplies.

  28. Shannon says

    Great giveaway! I would love to win this to buy some more early literacy books to read to my daughter at bedtime 🙂 She starts JK very soon!