In our last blog post we covered the age range of current preschoolers and how it has developed over time. In our post this week, we want to dive deeper into the traits that your child may possess that can also be a determining factor as to whether or not your child is ready to head to preschool.
While these traits are not necessarily the case for all preschoolers, they are ones that we see in students who confidently walk into a preschool class. Again, these traits will not determine the success of your child, but they are visible in the children that enter at younger ages, and do well in preschool.
Is your child pretty independent?
One of the hardest parts of going to parents is having to accept that your parents aren’t there. If your child is someone that is pretty independent – is potty trained, can wash their hands, eats without assistance, etc. – then they are a great fit for daycare! While we do see some areas that most kids struggle with, for instance napping on their own, the more independent the child, the better. This allows for us to spend more time on learning!
Has your child ever spent time away from you?
Again, preschool is difficult because it is a good amount of time away from the parents. If your child has spent a majority of their life thus far with you, enrolling right into preschool may be difficult. Granted, there are plenty of children that get comfortable pretty quickly with preschool and their peers. However, if they’re on the younger side of the age range, we suggest enrolling them in daycare or even half day preschool, until they show signs that they’re comfortable being away from mom and dad.
Aside from these two basic traits, children that are outgoing or exceptionally social and involved are always a good fit for daycare. This allows them to utilize their energy in a productive manner, while also providing an opportunity on how to properly control these personality traits. For further information on whether or not your child is ready to be enrolled in preschool, you can set aside time to speak with one of our team members. We would be more than happy to provide you with a consultation here at Growing Kids Learning Center in Elkhart!