this article may contain affiliate links
How Can I Prepare My Toddler For Preschool?
13 Super Helpful Things Every Mom Can Do To Make The Preschool Transition Easier
how can I prepare my toddler for preschool?
Wondering – how can I prepare my toddler for preschool? This blog post will have everything you need to make preparing your toddler for preschool and transitioning to preschool, so much easier (for both mom and baby!)
One of the most common questions I get from first time parents who tour my preschool and have never sent their toddlers to daycare or preschool is – “this is all new to us, how can I prepare my toddler for preschool?”
I know the first day of daycare and the first day of preschool are HUGE milestones for the whole family, so here’s a helpful starter guide on what I recommend that has helped dozens and dozens of babies and toddlers prepare for preschool (with minimal tears, more calm and joy for all!)
Give them notice!
2. Read a ‘first day of preschool book’ or two to your toddler, about starting preschool, each day for a week, before they start. One top-rated book for the first day of preschool is: Benny The Brave. Below are some other beloved books for the first day of preschool:
Ease the nerves!
7. Pack a special, favorite meal or snack they usually have at home with you, that they can look forward to and be comforted by at lunch time.
Watch my FREE Potty Training Masterclass and learn the *optimal* time to start potty training PLUS how to prepare your toddler, your mindset & your space!
Everything you need to know to start potty training with more ease, confidence and calm.
Prepare for big feelings!
Keep the conversation going!
11. Ask them who they met, who played with them or their favorite toy from their first day of preschool /first week of preschool. Tell them something about your day and what you guys are going to do next (get home and play for a bit then get their favorite dinner ready/watch a show/give their dog a goodie…) Creating a regular ‘get home from preschool’ routine can give them something to look forward to each day and keep them calm and flowing through transitions more easily.
12. Ask if they want to take anything else with them for tomorrow. Sending toddler to preschool with a thing or two they choose and find comfort in, can help them feel good, calm and ready to be a part of the preschool bustle.
13. Ask them how they want to spend their special after school time with mommy.
14 (BONUS!) Ask the preschool teacher to keep you looped in on how your toddler is doing through texts and pictures throughout the day. This will help your momma nerves and heart too, if you are feeling anxious and emotional about this fist day of preschool (first week, first month of preschool!) thing.
Conclusion
These tips are especially helpful if your toddler is slow-to-warm, attached to you or nervous about starting preschool.
Remember, it can take time and practice for your toddler to get used to this new place, new people and new routine, and to sort out all of the feelings they have about it…
Have those pre-preschool prep talks with your toddler, read them some books for the first day of preschool, keep looped in with their teacher and continue to ask them about their days and how they feel, how they played, what they loved most about their day at preschool.
How long does it take for toddler to adjust to preschool?
Give them time, practice and don’t freak out just yet if on the first, second and third day they are still adjusting. Truthfully, heavily depending on your toddler’s temperament, they can take 2 weeks to a month or so to adjust. That is if they are full time and going consecutive days. 2 weeks is the typical timeframe I see most toddlers need to adjust to most newness – potty training, new shoes, no paci, a different drinking cup, new foods, etc.
Over the years, I have noticed that toddlers in part time care can struggle a little longer with the transition because they are spending less time at the new place and have longer stretches away, which means they don’t have as much time to adjust.
Not to worry! If your toddler is part time in preschool, you can ask for the support you and your child need from the teacher/teachers, keep the conversation going about their feelings and what they can do to feel better and have more fun, more often. And of course, if you feel like it just isn’t a good fit, you can make a plan to try something/somewhere else.
This is just the very beginning of their social and more formal learning journey, there is plenty of time for you and them to adjust at their own pace, with the support they need and deserve.
Read this next:
20 Biggest Potty Training Mistakes To Avoid
How To Potty Train Like A Pro – Tips Every First Timer Needs To Know
want to potty train easier? without big feelings you don’t know how to manage?
my Peaceful Potty Training course teaches you my simplified method built for ‘strong-willed’, uninterested and scared toddlers, in a way that feels loving, nurturing, natural. ALL the information you need in ONE place, covering all the scenarios like refusing to sit, withholding poop, pushback, constipation, frequent accidents and more:
