Five Easy to Follow Tips for Starting Preschool

I feel like a fish out of water writing about tips for starting preschool. Both of my girls are starting preschool for the first time.  This post is really a pep talk for myself and my fellow preschool “newbie” moms.

I’m so excited to have more alone time for pursuing my passions. At the same time, I’m nervous about my babies growing up!

5 Easy to Follow Tips for Starting Preschool

Strive for “good enough”

Our morning at the preschool’s open house was pretty indicative of my girls’ opposite personalities. My oldest clung to me and cautiously approached both her teacher and classroom with hesitation. Meanwhile, my youngest impulsively climbed and drew on everything in sight with great zeal.

My oldest daughter, like me, wants everything to be perfect all the time. She is afraid of new situations and not being in control. My youngest daughter, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to worry about the future or perfection.  She just wants to play with reckless abandon.

In her New York Times bestseller, For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards, Jen Hatmaker gives women everywhere license to be “good enough.”

Everything is “good enough” for my youngest, and it should be good enough for us, too.  This gives us freedom to live in the moment.

Reinforce learning at home

I recently had the opportunity to read and review The Deliberate Mom, Jenifer Bly’s new ebook, My Kitchen, My Classroom. While I’m not ready to make a decision about homeschooling, I am planning to apply some of her ideas for educating my kids. I especially like her suggestions for activities and field trips inspired by books we read together and seasonal sensory trays.

This summer, we worked on letters, numbers, shapes and seasons. We also read lots of books, played in the pool and the garden, and created a lot of artwork.  We even created a fruit of the Spirit painting to reinforce last month’s memory verse from our church. By reinforcing what my girls learn at preschool and church, I hope to deepen their understanding of important concepts.

Embrace rest

A few of my church friends who have walked this “preschool mom” road before warned me not to go overboard with “getting things done” while the girls are at school. They reminded me to schedule downtime to relax before I go pick them up. That way I am refreshed and ready to be mommy again.

Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) is starting up again this week. Our 2015-2016 theme is “A Fierce Flourishing: Celebrating Lavishly, Embracing Rest, Noticing Goodness.”  I want to do all of these things well during the time my girls are learning and playing.

I want to celebrate my free time by exercising, writing, and getting some creative projects done around our home.  I want to notice blessings always and practice gratitude every day.  But “embracing rest” is tough for me.

I have trouble relaxing and turning off the “to do” lists in my head. That’s one reason I love yoga so much. It forces me to intentionally slow down and breathe. It forces me to stop and rest for a moment so that I can recharge.

Prepare your child

My three-year-old has a lot of anxiety about new environments so we have been talking about preschool for months. We even checked out a book from our local library about what to expect at preschool.  She is nervous but excited. She says her favorite part of the school day will be “lunch,” which makes me laugh.

Involving my feisty and fearless almost-two-year-old in picking out her Minnie Mouse backpack and owl nap mat has given her ownership of this new adventure and built excitement about going to school.

Plan ahead

Taking my kids anywhere in the morning always goes more smoothly when I’ve picked out their outfits and packed their backpacks the night before. We will also need to start the bedtime process a little earlier on “school nights” to ensure they get a good night’s rest.

And planning their snacks and lunches for preschool may also be the kick I need to finally do weekly meal planning.

What are your tips for starting preschool?

Let me know your tips for starting preschool in the comments. (I need all the help I can get.)