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Back to School: Preschool Essentials

shahla · August 14, 2016 · 16 Comments

This post contains some affiliate and sponsored links. The views expressed are my own. 

My daughter has a December birthday and when I signed her up for preschool, I neglected to check when she would be eligible for TK or Kindergarten. Well, that move ended up meaning an additional year of preschool. Looking back, I probably sent her too early since she cried for almost the entire first year (a whole lot in the beginning and then a few minutes when I was dropping her off). Even though her teachers assured me she was fine and stopped crying by the time I made it to my car, I would often times get in the car and cry myself. I felt awful that she was so upset.

The plus side is that after preparing for two years of preschool and one year of pre-K, I have come up with a good list of preschool items to help with the transition.

  1. Books: The Kissing Hand and The Invisible String are two of our favorite books. Both books address separation anxiety in the sweetest way. There is something about learning through books and stories that leaves a far better impression on my daughter than any pep talk that I deliver. Click on the links below to check them out.
  2. Clothes: We make a big deal about our daughter picking out her own first day of school outfit. My little trick is that I let her pick out two outfits and then I will save the one she likes more for the second day. That way if anxiety creeps in, she still will have something to be excited for on the next day. If your little wears a uniform, you still can make it fun by picking out shoes, underwear, whatever! This year one of her outfits come from her grandma’s Etsy shop. Click here to check out her adorable shop! StaySharpShirts
  3. Accessories: As I said, our first year was a little tough. And while Miss L wanted to take stuffed animals as a security blanket, it wouldn’t have worked well in the classroom. Instead, she would often accessorize with scarves because they felt like a lovey and it made her feel a little more secure. Check out this gorgeous cashmere scarf from WormeWoole, another great Etsy shop! Isn’t it the prettiest? It is the perfect addition to any child’s wardrobe! Miss L loves the rainbow colors and it is so very soft. She’s a girl after my own heart when it comes to accessorizing. This will be her go-to scarf when it gets colder (but being that she tried to wear one when it was 100 degrees out, probably sooner!). Sara Orme, the owner of WormeWoole, is offering a 15% discount at her shop with the code BACKTOSCHOOL. Check out her site here. Go get this amazing scarf here. DSCN1405_Fotor DSCN1409_Fotor
  4. A picture: Last year we sent along a picture of our family to school to comfort her when she missed us. We chose a picture where we were making silly faces and holding her brother upside down. It made her laugh when she was sad, which was our goal! I am sure we will do the same this year!
  5. Spend some time at the preschool before school begins. A lot of preschools have summer session. Either signing them up for a session to help with the transition or to drop in for a little bit here and there with mom/dad in hand definitely helps. Check to see if your school offers either.
  6. Words/lingering: I wouldn’t say ‘bye’ as that would make her upset. I would say, “See you soon, have fun!” and we would do “kissing hand” and I would leave. Even if she was crying, I found the teachers would be able to calm her down much faster if I wasn’t there. Don’t get me wrong, it was so ridiculously hard to see my child cry and not stay behind to comfort her. The walk to my car was the longest and once I was inside I would burst into tears myself. The school would send me pictures of her to show me she was okay. It made me feel so much better to see her sweet smiling face.
  7. Listen to your gut: Based on how many months she cried (even if it was for a few minutes) I probably should have explored other schools/programs (nothing against the school or teachers). I had this nagging voice that told me to try a more play-based program. It may not have made a difference, but I would have felt better about my final decision knowing that I tried.
  8. Make it fun! We decorated with some fun finds at the Target Dollar Spot. We also make a big deal out of breakfast on the first day. I set up a fun and bright breakfast table to surprise her that morning. I also fill her up with lots of healthy proteins and carbs to fuel her through the day. image1 (2)

Please feel free to share any tips for preschool that I missed in the comments below!

With love,

Shahla

 

Filed Under: Bookworm, Wee Style Tagged With: back to school, Books, custom, handmade, pre k, preschool, scarves, school, security blanket, separation anxiety, shop small, Style, toddler, toddler style

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Comments

  1. mommylittle says

    August 15, 2016 at 2:25 pm

    Sending a kid off to school is hard! I love all of your tips though, especially about not saying “bye” but using a better phrase. I know that makes a huge difference for us!

    Reply
    • shahla says

      August 18, 2016 at 3:53 am

      Thanks so much for taking the time to read! It totally does! It helps me too!!

      Reply
  2. Maria says

    August 15, 2016 at 7:47 pm

    From a toddler mom, THANK YOU! This is so helpful!

    Reply
    • shahla says

      August 18, 2016 at 3:53 am

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Maria!

      Reply
  3. Melissa says

    August 15, 2016 at 10:40 pm

    These are great tips! I love the outfit trick, so smart!

    Reply
    • shahla says

      August 18, 2016 at 3:54 am

      Thanks so much, Melissa! I learned the hard way, haha!! xo

      Reply
  4. Angela says

    August 16, 2016 at 3:59 am

    The scarf and play area are both the cutest! I love them! I have to look into the books. I think my little Jack will have some separation issues.

    Reply
    • shahla says

      August 18, 2016 at 3:55 am

      Thank you, Angela! Jack will love the books!! And I am totally jealous of her scarf, so soft and cute! xo

      Reply
  5. Justine Y @ Little Dove says

    August 16, 2016 at 6:03 am

    Loved your thoughts! And I’m so sorry she had such a hard time! I hope she does better this year. My daughter will be starting Preschool this year and she’s never had any sort of anxiety before, but I’ll be interested to see how things go the first day.

    Reply
    • shahla says

      August 18, 2016 at 3:56 am

      Thank you, Justine! I hope she has the best time! We just went to orientation and found out she has a teacher she loves, so hoping that makes all the difference this year!

      Reply
  6. chanel says

    August 16, 2016 at 12:37 pm

    I love the idea of saying “See you later, have fun!” instead of bye! And that is such a cute room!

    Reply
    • shahla says

      August 18, 2016 at 3:57 am

      Thanks so much, Chanel! xo

      Reply
  7. Nicole Banuelos says

    August 16, 2016 at 5:52 pm

    Crushing hard on that room! So adorable!

    Reply
    • shahla says

      August 18, 2016 at 3:56 am

      Thanks so much, Nicole! XO

      Reply
  8. Rania says

    August 25, 2016 at 6:31 pm

    I love the tips! For us we spent an hour or so at the school
    And my preschooler was ok but his older Brother is in the same
    School so that helped. I would
    Love if you can link up to http://the-wardrobe-stylist.com/2016/08/23/tea-party-decor/

    Reply
    • shahla says

      August 29, 2016 at 2:31 am

      Yay! Thanks for stopping by! Going to check it out!

      Reply

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