School to Summer
If your child has enjoyed going to a Parent’s Day Out or a preschool program this year, then transitioning to a summer at home and warm-weather fun may be harder than you’d think. Toddlers can develop close friends at their school, who they may miss not seeing on a daily basis, or have a strong bond with their teacher. Many preschoolers also crave routine, something that summer months tend to be without, or at least greatly loosened. If your child will not be attending preschool during the summer months, don’t think your child will be excited and ready to tell everyone goodbye. A youngster may initially be excited about being home with mom or dad over the summer months, only to be ready to return to school only after a few weeks and prior to the new school year beginning. What should parents do to prepare?
- Involve your youngster in summer planning. If your child will be taking swimming lessons, seek her input about which session or time to choose (that is, if you’re willing to go with what your tot chooses). If you are planning a vacation, begin talking about where you’re going, what you’ll be doing while there and how the trip will include a ride on an airplane or a long family drive.
- Give your toddler a calendar to check off the days until summer vacation begins, and then to check off the days until the return to school. A calendar check off lets your toddler feel more in control of time.
- Exchange personal information with the parents of your child’s best school buddy and arrange for play dates over the summer. Keeping the friend connection alive during summer will help the transition go more smoothly come fall.
- See if occasional care is available. While you may not require child care in the summer months, it might be advantageous to let your child participate in a field trip or attend certain days. This allows your child to remain familiar with the school routine and keep in touch with young friends. Plus, a day out for your child means a day for you to get much-needed things done without kids in tow. Check with your child care to see if this is an option. Sometimes teachers of part-time care such as parent’s day out programs are still willing to babysit kids for a nominal fee.
- Maintain a routine as much as possible. If you’re planning on having your child return to preschool in the fall, try and keep up as many routines as possible. If your child carries in a backpack during the school year, encourage her to pack one for outings during the summer as well. Do you best to maintain sleep schedules and wake-up times, as well as meal routines. If you have a designated reading time with your child during the school year, keep a similar schedule during summer months as well.
- Have your child create a simple memory book of things done over the summer to bring back to school to share with classmates when a new preschool year begins. The book can be as simple as ticket stubs, photographs, a drawing or two, and any other age-appropriate sentiment that your toddler will love to talk about during show and tell.
