Whether it's coming up in a few days or a few weeks, the first day of school always stirs a mixture of emotions in both kids and parents. And in the case of the first day of preschool, those emotions are intensified about a million times.
Trust me, I know. I'm about to enter my fifth year as a pre-K teacher, and I've seen a lot in my relatively short teaching career. Not to mention the fact that I have two children of my own who both survived their own first-day experiences, and a whole squad of teacher friends who've shared their anecdotes with me over the years.
Although preschool isn't mandatory for children in the U.S., it's becoming an increasingly popular option. In 2016, the most recent year for which statistics were available, 66 percent of four-year-olds were enrolled in a pre-primary program, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That's a lot of little ones going to school for the first time... and a lot of anxious parents.
But as we all know, a lot of anxiety has to do with a fear of the unknown. What's going to happen on that first day? parents wonder. Will my child be okay? Having a sense of what to expect can help make the transition easier for both child and mom. With that in mind, here are a few teacher-tested tips for that all-important day.
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