It’s been an amazing year at the Pre-K!   It is exciting to know that the children will soon be moving up to a new school or continuing on at the Pre-K.

How’s your child doing with this transition? And how are you?

Both as a parent and a parent-educator, I’ve found that sometimes these transitions are harder for the grown-ups than they are for our kids! In fact, our children may be experiencing “moving up” very differently than we might think. You may observe that your child is feeling excited, nervous, or possibly even unconcerned or unaware about what is to come.

Every child’s experience is unique. Some children have been talking about moving up for months – while others may not have mentioned it at all.

One 4-year-old girl announced back in January that, ”The Pre-K is too small for me, and soon I will go to a big school.” But her parents report, as the date approaches for school to end, she’s now announcing, “I don’t want to leave the Pre-K.”  And some days, she doesn’t even want to go to school at all!

When families move from one situation to another, adjustments are always necessary. The amount of stress and the time needed to make these adjustments varies depending on your family and its experience with change.

Remember, transition means building new relationships; opportunities to experience new places.

The most important aspect about transitions from a developmental viewpoint is that each child’s reaction will be unique. Children need to be aware of what is happening, give them as much exposure to the new situation/environment as possible and BE POSITIVE.

On the back of this page are some ideas to help you and your child talk about moving up and make the transition smoother and easier. Always try to keep the lines of communication open, you may want to reminisce about other successful transitions your family has experienced and how they were handled.

FIND OUT WHAT YOUR CHILD IS THINKING ABOUT MOVING UP

You might start by asking your child an open-ended question like, “What do you think about going to a new school next year?” Then, listen to what your child says. Use your child’s answer as a conversation-starter. And be open for surprising responses! 

A simple question like this can work wonders, even with a young child. Sometimes adults can bring so much concern about how a child might be feeling, that we forget to ask what the child is actually thinking and feeling. Open-ended questions open the doors for open communication. Help children to discuss their feelings and anxieties, but do not project your own feelings on to them. You can talk about how you felt starting school or beginning a new job and what helped to ease the transition.

If you find your child appears more anxious than usual or is acting out, be aware this may be due to concerns about moving up. This may or may not be something to mention directly to your child, but it could be something for you to keep in mind – particularly if you’re dealing with a challenging morning or after-school meltdown! Some kids may even have trouble sleeping if they are very concerned about leaving an old, familiar environment and beginning something new. Parents should discuss their own apprehensions or worries away from the children.

DISCUSS MOVING UP, BUT DON’T DWELL ON IT!

When you talk with your child about moving up, keep your answers short and age-appropriate. Be reassuring, but don’t over-discuss it! Keep in mind that your four or five-year-old doesn’t need a level of specifics you might give to an older child or adult.

You might talk together about:

• Friends who will be at the new school.
• Making plans to see old friends again.
• What is was like when you or an older sibling went to a new school for the first time.

If your child doesn’t mention “moving up” at all, it might be useful to bring it up gently and see how your child responds. You might also ask your child’s teachers if your child has mentioned it at school.

Your child may express concerns as school comes to a close, and may continue to ask you questions throughout the summer. Don’t’ be surprised if you are asked the same question every few days.

For some children, Day 1 of a new experience may be stressful, for others the difficulties may come on Day 15 and still others will find the transition stress-free. One of the most important things to do is to monitor the situation by keeping lines of communication open between yourself, your child and the teachers.

THINGS TO DO TO GET READY

In addition to talking together, there are a number of really helpful things you can DO, to make the transition smooth.

• Keep Regular Routines.

Over the last few weeks of school, and over the summer, keep bedtime and wake up time as consistent as possible.

•  Put Your Child in Some Full Days at the Pre-K or at his/her Summer Program.

If your child has not done full days, introduce some here at school or in a summer program. This will help get your child used to staying a longer day at Kindergarten.

•  Be On Time for the Last Days of School & Your Summer Program.

We have encouraged families to arrive at school on time here at the Pre-K; in Kindergarten, punctuality is expected everyday. Being on time now will help your child “stay in the groove” and make September a lot easier. 

•  Find Out Who’s Going to Your Child’s New School.

Make sure you keep your Pre-K class list so you can call around once you get assigned to a school.

•  Visit the New School & Play in the Playground.

Getting your child familiar with his new environment will help her feel more comfortable when the new school year begins. Drive by the new school whenever you can. If possible, hook up with some kids who will be going to the new school and play together on the playground or arrange play dates.

WAYS TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE PRE-K

Each child will say “goodbye” in his own unique way. Some kids have trouble with goodbyes while others “seem” unaware. To help your child say farewell, you might:

•  Ask your child what her teachers are saying about “moving up” at the Pre-K, and use her answer as a conversation-starter.
•  Ask your child if he might like to draw a picture for his teachers or special friends at the Pre-K.
•  Ask your child if she might like to come back to visit her classroom next year, once she’s a “kindergartener”.
•  Give yourself a chance to say goodbye too!

It can be challenging for parents to watch their young kids grow and move along to something new. It sometimes reminds us of when we changed schools as kids and all the feelings that went with that experience. Remember, now that you’re a parent, you can help your child make a beautiful transition to a new adventure.

REMEMBER, YOU AND YOUR CHILD WILL ALWAYS BE WELCOME AT THE PRE-K.

Please come back and visit. Let us know how you are doing and call us with any questions or concerns!