How Can You Help Prepare Your Child?

Your child does not need to come into Kindergarten knowing the ABCs and 123s. However, there are many skills you can work on at home which will help your child be successful in Kindergarten as well as in life. The following list provides just a few "soft" skills that will help the year go more smoothly:

• Greeting: Does your child greet adults and other children when they enter a room? "Good Morning, Mom," "How was your day, Dad?" "Thanks for coming to watch me, Auntie Jenny."

• Advocating for Themselves: Is your child able to ask for help when they need it or do they wait until an adult notices they need help? It is difficult to read the minds of 20+ children, so it is important to model for children how they can advocate for themselves in getting the help they need. "Can you please help me open this milk carton?" "I'm having trouble zipping my backpack. Can I get some help?" "I'm feeling tired, may I take a break?" Be careful that you do not jump in to help your child before they even ask for it.

• Sharing: We all want children to be able to share, but that doesn't mean they need to hand their toys over immediately. Learning to say, "May I have that when you are finished with it?" and "I'm still using it, but when I am done you may have a turn." may help your child navigate difficult situations with peers.

• Bathroom Manners: With 20+ children sharing one bathroom, it is important to get in the habit of wiping up any drops left on the toilet seat, flushing and washing your hands with soap. While most parents assume their children have those skills, experience has taught me that young children don't always USE the skills they have been taught.

• Practice Patience: In the real world, sometimes we need to wait---whether it is in traffic, the grocery store or for food to get to the table. When you find yourself in such a situation, model patience for your child by saying something along the lines of, "I wish I didn't need to wait, but this gives me a chance to practice patience. I can handle waiting for my turn."