It feels like yesterday that you first held your precious little one for the first time. Then you blinked, and it’s now time for preschool. You and your child are excited and anxious in equal measure. For your child, it’s a huge milestone, as he or she forays into formal education for the first time. For you, it’s the beginning of letting go, and accepting that your child’s world is getting bigger, and that you must spend time apart. Inevitably, it’s a period of transition and there’s going to be a lot of getting used to. Here are 5 ways to prepare your child for preschool and make the transition from home to school life more seamless.
1. No Fear, Here I Come!
Even the most enthusiastic children are bound to feel some degree of fear or anxiety when starting their preschool journey. This is completely normal as they are taking a big leap from the comfort of home into completely unchartered territory. To make this less daunting, you can talk your child through his or her fears and provide reassurance that everything will be fine.
You can also start introducing your child to some typical classroom routines and activities such as reading, colouring and turn taking1. Better yet, visit the preschool with your child and allow him or her time and space to get familiar with it. It’s also a good time for you to talk to your child’s teacher and understand the learning environment and culture better! This helps to make the transition easier for both you and your little one!
2. Sharing is Caring
Children always look at their parents as role models, so sharing your school experience will help your child to form a positive impression of preschool. Tell your child stories of what it was like for you to start school, what you enjoyed, how you felt and some of the memories that you made. It would be a bonus if you can find photographs of your early school days to share with your child2!
3. Listen with Empathy and Understanding
Your child is likely to have a barrage of questions, and a myriad of emotions about starting school. You won’t necessarily understand all of it, but don’t trivialise any of it. Listen like your life depends on it and don’t judge your child’s fears, however insignificant they may seem to you. Instead, offer empathy and understanding and help to allay your child’s fears with kind words and plenty of reassurance2.
4. Create Routines for Familiarity
Children always find comfort in familiarity. A great way to prepare your child for preschool is to start creating routines. From bedtime to waking up, start fixing timings and practicing the routines. This will give both you and your child time to adjust and get accustomed to going to school. This will make it less stressful to get going in the morning1.
5. Strong Immunity and Good Brain Development for a Better Learning Experience
When your child starts preschool, they will naturally be exposed to a host of germs and with their developing immune systems, sick days are inevitable. While you can’t prevent this, you can take steps to strengthen your child’s immunity for fewer sick days means more time for learning all the wonderful things that preschool teaches. In addition to sleeping well, it’s important for your child to eat a healthy, balanced and wholesome diet. Having said that, at this stage, many children are still picky eaters, and it’s not always possible to have a perfectly balanced diet. One of the way to help your child to get adequate nutrition is by complementing your child’s diet with Growing Up Milk like #Aptamil. Imported from New Zealand, Aptamil Gold+ Growing Up Milk Stage 3 is also from one of the leading producers of children milk companies in Europe and it contains #Immuno-nutrients+ to support your child’s immunity.
In addition, Aptamil Gold+ Growing Up Milk Stage 3 with #Immuno-nutrients+ for children aged between 1 and 3 years old is formulated with the highest◊ DHA as compared to other growing up milk in Singapore. This helps to support your child brain development to learn many wonderful and interesting things. Supporting your child’s immunity and brain development is a great way to help your child to be prepared for the ever-changing and competitive environment in Singapore, and yes, the preparation starts even before preschool!
As for you, you can be reassured that with #Aptamil Gold+ Growing Up Milk Stage 3, you are providing the very best for your child! To find out more and sign up for a free* 900g Aptamil Gold+ Growing Up Milk Stage 3 sample, visit the #Aptamil website.
Parents, these are 5 simple ways to prepare your child for preschool. By following these tips, the transition to preschool will be a lot easier on both you and your child. Remember, a child with a strong immune system and good brain development will be at an advantage! Start taking the steps today to enjoy your child’s preschool journey!
+Immuno-nutrients referring to Iron, Folic Acid, Vitamin C & D contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system
◊Applies to Aptamil Stage 3 (128mg/100g) & Aptamil HA Stage 3 (87.3mg/100g) Growing Up Milk vs other Growing Up Milk (Stage 3) sold in Singapore as checked on 23 Sep 2022.
* T&Cs apply. Only applicable for new users. Redemption is strictly limited to one sample per entity. Impersonation of another entity for sample redemption is not allowed (e.g. using another entity’s username, password, or other account information). Multiple accounts creation for the purpose of sample redemption by the same entity will be deemed as fraud and may be reported to the relevant authorities. Excludes infant and follow on formula (0-12months).
