It’s time for preschool. Now what?
It’s time for preschool. Now what?
By Cassandra Thomas, MA-CCC-SLP
Many parents get to a point when they think that it’s time for their little one to socialize and learn to be around other kids. Sometimes this comes as a choice and sometimes it is a necessity. Let me begin here by saying that regardless of your situation, whether a choice or a need, there are things you can think about when choosing a daycare or preschool for your child. Also, regardless of it being a choice or a need, you as their parent are making the next best choice for your child in the place in time that you are in.
When choosing a spot for your tot there are some questions that you can ask. Let’s start with what you can ask yourself and/or your parenting partner. These questions are going to be about your desires and needs as a family.
- How often do we need daycare/preschool?
- What is our budget for daycare/preschool?
- What is our top priority for our child in attending a daycare/preschool?
- What would create an absolute NO when looking at daycare/preschool?
- When I think about my child, what environment do I think they would thrive in?
This is a good start for planning for your family as you prepare to find a center that’s right for you. Some of these connect to each other. For example, the environment your child is likely to thrive in will likely correlate to your top priority. If your child is a social butterfly, your top priority may be to give them an outlet for meeting peers and enjoying time with others. Likewise, if your child is a quiet, introverted human that would thrive in that type of setting, your top priority may be to see them flourish with peers through quiet play and a more structured routine.
Let’s move on to what you may want to ask the center you are looking at:
- What is your teacher/student ratio?
- What does a typical “school day” look like here?
- What type of training does your staff do throughout the year?
- Do you feel your staff has a good understanding of social/emotional care?
- Is your staff comfortable working with other service providers involved in my child’s care?
- If my child has a difficult time transitioning, what will you be able to put in place to help make the transition a success?
- Can we make a few visits to observe before committing to attending here?
These questions are going to give you a glimpse of what your child will encounter while attending their new school. It will allow you to find out if you feel the center is equipped to handle the needs of your child well while also handling the needs of the other children. This will show you whether they are willing to work with you, make sure your child has a successful start, and should a difficult situation arise where your child has difficulty going to school the team will be willing to brainstorm ways to help. If your child has a higher level of needs such as speech or occupational therapy, knowing that a center is willing to work with and listen to those professionals to best help your child is important.
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