Your child’s move to preschool can be a big change for them. It can take time for everyone to settle into the new routine.
There are things you can do to prepare your child for the transition. This can make it easier for them.
Visit pre-school before their first day
Check with the pre-school if you may visit the pre-school together before your child’s first day.
Play in the playground and explore the classroom. Introduce your child to the teachers, the toys and the preschool environment.
This can be a great way to help settle your child before they start. They will be more familiar with the school and they will know what to expect.
Choose a quiet time to visit so it does not cause them stress.
Create a new routine
Create a new routine in line with a school day. Start practising this in the weeks before school starts.
Pick a bedtime that will give your child a good night's rest. Have a wake-up time early enough so neither of you has to rush in the morning.
It can be a good time to introduce new things to a school-day routine. For example, picking out clothes together the night before school and eating breakfast together in the morning.
Routines can be an important part of your child’s life.
Talk about pre-school
Talk to your child about going to pre-school. Talk about what it might be like, new friends they will meet, fun they will have and games they will learn.
Having photographs of the pre-school staff, the classroom and the entrance can be a great way to talk about pre-school and help prepare your child for this change.
Practical things to help your child’s move to pre-school
There are some things you can do to help your child’s transition to pre-school.
Communicate with the pre-school
Communication is an important part of your child’s move to pre-school.
Meet pre-school staff and share information with them about your child.
When your child has additional needs, it can help to create a pre-school passport together.
This is a simple way to share important information about your child.
You can include things such as their likes and dislikes, what helps them feel calm, their sensory preferences and the foods they enjoy.
You could also use a communication book or an app to communicate with the school.
Your child’s communication style
Talk about your child’s communication style and ask if the school can help with this.
For example, social stories or comic strips may help your child’s transition to preschool. These can be personalised and adapted to their needs and communication style.
Visual schedules and timers may help
The school could use visual schedules to let your child know what’s planned for the day and what is happening next. They could use photographs or symbols to personalise a schedule.
A timer can let your child know when there's going to be a change of activity, or when something new is coming up.
This may help them understand the concept of time. For example, 'first and then'.
Consider the length of your child’s day away
Talk to your child’s teacher if you need to adjust drop-off times for your child. For example, you could ask to have an earlier or later drop-off time, depending on what suits your child best.
A shorter day might be a better option for your child than a full day. A shorter day might be where they arrive at school later and leave earlier.
Half days suit some children better. For example, would it suit your child better to go just for the mornings or afternoons?
Getting into a drop-off routine
Prepare the drop-off routine in advance. Find out which door to use and show your child so they are familiar with this.
Check about a safe place
Check with the school if there is a safe space for your child. This is somewhere they can go to if they're upset or stressed.
Bringing familiar toys or objects
Let your child bring familiar things with them when moving into the pre-school environment that is new and strange for them.
For example, they could bring a teddy, special toy or soother. These things can help to keep them calm or to relax them.
Useful resources
This content was adapted from a 3-part series of videos by Enable Ireland.
Preparing for the transition into preschool, part 2: Starting in preschool (video)