It’s Almost Kindergarten!
It’s officially summer! The Pre-k graduations and moving up ceremonies have come and gone. Your rising Kindergartener is off to “big kid” summer camp or other great adventures. You are holding on to every last moment of little kidhood while anxiously excited about the next turn in the academic marathon for your child.
Big changes are coming, no matter if this is your first child or last to head to Kindergarten. We all need to take a deep breath (do it with me!) – inhale, exhale – and get ready for the summer of a lifetime. Throughout the summer, we will publish ways that you can set your rising Kindergartener (and family) up for success in the coming months.
Let’s start by ways that you can take control and feel empowered in this journey. The old saying, “the days are long and the years are short,” could not be more true during this transition. Each day, your child will develop new skills and abilities to navigate the world around them. Some of these new skills will be cute and adorable, while others will make you want to pull every last hair out of your head. Remember when your three year old had to do everything for themself and it took forever? Buckle up, you’re headed back to that.
What can you do? Control how you react. Validate their actions and feelings. Remember to give choices that will get the task completed in an effective and efficient manner. Nothing makes a big kid feel defeated like an adult who doesn’t believe in them. One of my favorite books, that I read EVERY year and recommend to all rising-Kindergarten families, is Ready For Kindergarten: Recognizing Colors to Making Friends, Your Essential Guide to Kindergarten Prep by Deborah J. Stewart. While the overarching ideas apply to many, you have to remember that your child is their own person. They each have their own owner’s manual and you are their best advocate. Listen to your “very important person” gut and allow it to lead how this summer should feel – again, holding on tight can be okay sometimes.
Clap Into Kindergarten® can’t wait to help you embrace the next eight weeks!
