Kindergarten Anxiety?

August 9th, 2011

by Katrina Brooke

What can you do? We asked veteran preschool teachers what they do to soothe the frayed feelings of late spring/summer. As usual, we do at home what they do at school, or at least we try.

Scale it down. Offer fewer choices, return to the comforts of routine and predictability, don’t push it — at least not right now.

Keep it simple. Teachers plan activities with fewer steps or materials. At home, you can be a bit more repetitive and return to some old favorite toys and games.

Allow your child some space. Downtime and solo play are especially welcome in these topsy-turvy times. Balance all the high-energy play with some nice new-agey chill-out.

Go sensory. Play-Doh, water play, cornstarch sludge — they all got your little ones through the early days of preschool, and they’ll work just as well for the last days.

Emphasize relationships. Talk about your family, even the ones who live far away and whose love you feel over the miles. Talk about your own old friends — friends you saw every day in class and friends you rarely saw but love just as much. Make a photo album, watch a slideshow of pictures, send a letter or two.

Offer help. When playing with friends and siblings, kiddos may need a little more adult help getting started and keeping play going.

Stick to limits. In uncertain times, teachers tell us that kids need some extra help to regain their resiliency, but they also need to be reassured that the principles of their world aren’t changing. The same rules apply, the same consequences flow from bad choices, even if doled out with extra compassion and understanding.

And remember, this too shall pass. Your fragile little darling will soon be skipping happily through the halls at kindergarten, fondly reminiscing about preschool days and how tough it was to leave. By then, maybe your own tears will be dry.

taken from: http://www.savvysource.com/

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