Canada | $ CAD
USA & International | $ USD
Back-to-School Tips for Starting Kindergarten
Starting Kindergarten is a big transition. It’s the milestone that ends the baby and toddler chapter of parenthood and officially starts the big kid journey. This transition can come with big feelings of excitement, fear and stress, for both the children and their grown-ups. Here are our top back-to-school tips to make heading off to Kindergarten a little easier!
Get to know your new school
Attend school activities geared towards incoming kindergartners. Our school hosted “Popsicles on the Playground” allowing the new students to come meet the kindergarten teachers and make some new friends. If your school doesn’t host these events reach out to other families in your community and arrange some playground playdates! Seeing a familiar face on that first day will make all the difference.
Create a consistent routine early
We all love the go with the flow vibe of summer, but when school starts you will need a morning routine to help you get out the door on time. Starting this routine a few weeks prior to the first day of school will help it become second nature for your family and remove a lot of the stress of that first morning.
In our family this means setting out clothes the night before, waking up at a set time, getting dressed, having a good breakfast, and packing lunchboxes and backpacks.
Make sure to have an established bedtime routine as well. Getting good quality sleep will make for better school days.
Work on self-help skills
Make sure your child knows how to use their new backpack and lunch kit prior to the first day. The best way to do this is to simply use them. Take the backpack and the lunch box out on your summer adventures! By the time school starts your kindergartener will be a professional. Some other skills to work on over summer include using the bathroom independently, washing hands, putting on shoes and coats, and having the confidence to ask for help when needed.
Validate big feelings
Kindergarten is full of firsts, for both parents and children, and this transition can be hard on everyone involved. Make time to talk about and validate these big feelings. This is a great time to introduce some positive affirmations to boost your child’s confidence. Some of our personal faves are:
“I am brave, I am smart, I am a good friend, I can have a great day”
Another great way to open the door to these conversations about emotions is to read books together about going to kindergarten. Here are a few we’ve recently borrowed from the library:
We hope that these back-to-school tips have you and your kindergartner feeling confident and empowered heading into this new experience. Take a deep breath, you’ve got this!
Hannah, Teacher turned mom in the PNW
Back to Blog