The Transition from Preschool to Kindergarten

I just made my last full payment to daycare/preschool! As parents out there know, that’s a fun milestone and means another big moment: my kid is off to kindergarten. The transition from full-time daycare/preschool to regular school is a big one — even without the complication of COVID. I feel a bit more scattered than I think I normally would, so it made sense to organize my thoughts into a blog post for you. Here are some of the things that change with this transition and how you might address those. If you’re going through this transition or have gone through it, what would you add to this?

Your Schedule

This is the big one no matter what, but especially so this year due to COVID. Right now, Wake County schools are planning to split students into three groups. Each group will attend school in person for one week and then be at home for two weeks. How working parents will figure this out is anyone’s guess! Some thoughts on the general schedule:

• Plenty of people are considering homeschooling their kids for the year. Many parents won’t be able to make this work, but if it’s an option for you, it at least would provide some consistency.
• If you have two working parents/partners at home, maybe you take turns working from home on those off weeks. That’s assuming you can work from home, of course, which is not true for everyone.
• Wake schools have said they may offer some type of care for the off weeks. Let’s hope!
• If you have a group of friends with kids, you might reach out to them about taking turns even one day per week to help. Single parents, especially, don’t be shy about reaching out to loved ones, friends, neighbors.
• For many, this will mean adjusting your working hours. Even without this weird wrench, my husband and I had planned to adjust our work schedules because school lets out around 3:15 — much earlier than daycare closes!
• Wake Schools do offer before and after-school care, which may help. I haven’t heard yet if they will offer it this year. I’m told those after-school spots go fast, so sign up as soon as you can!
• Make a plan now for sick days. Which partner will stay home? If you’re a single parent, can you stay home or call a relative?
• On those off weeks, we’ll be doing some juggling to figure out how to take work calls and video meetings. I will talk to my colleagues about this, and my husband will talk to his boss. Luckily, a lot of people are going to be figuring this out, too.

The Stuff

• School supplies are only part of the story, but we’ll start with those. Apparently, there tends to be a run on school supplies, so order or buy early. Who knows if COVID will impact this somehow, but if you have your school supply lists, go for it.
• When choosing a backpack, choose one that fits your child now. According to various sources, the backpack should sit below his/her shoulder blades and end at the waist. Shoulder straps should fit snugly.
• Choose a home for your child’s backpack. Where does he/she need to put it after coming home each day?
• Choose a time each week to go through the backpack with your child, cleaning out bits of trash and tissues, sorting papers, etc. The end of the week is ideal; that way you know what needs to be done over the weekend.
• Loads of other stuff will soon come into your life, such as artwork, permission slips (though maybe fewer of those this year), forms, and more. Some of this will appear in the mail, some will be sent home with your child, and some will arrive via email or your school’s online portal.
• If you don’t already have a file in your drawer for your child, create one.
• Create a physical home for any papers that require your attention. You might use a paper tray or attach a paper holder to the side of a desk or the wall. Each day, you’ll have to check with your child about items in his/her bag such as homework or permission slips, etc. As your child grows, he or she can take responsibility for letting you know about things, but this will be a learning process at first for both of you.
• Create an electronic folder in your inbox and on your computer for other items so you can set up a workflow. You might add deadlines to your calendar or create reminders, depending on how you typically do things.
• Set a reminder to log in to the portal if needed. I’m new to this, so I’m hoping I get an email if there’s something critical, but I also put a reminder in my calendar to check it weekly.
• Review “Flomintil My Information” by Janice for some ideas on organizing all the new info heading your way.

Your Morning Routine

For some, going to school means sleeping in later. We used to drop our child off at daycare by 8 a.m. most days, but school doesn’t start until 9:15. We’re hoping the before-school care works out, but so much is still unknown right now. For many, the switch from daycare to school means an earlier routine — or at least one that has a strict deadline. There’s no such thing as “late” to daycare/preschool, after all! Consider your current routine in the morning, and think about what may need to change.

• You might get up earlier to do some work before your child rises.
• You might get an alarm clock for your child and teach him/her to get up on time.
• Are you packing a lunch? Will you do that in the morning or the evening before?
• Does your child choose his/her own clothes? If so, you might try doing that the evening before to prevent arguments or a rush.
• Is your child riding the bus? If so, how long does it take to walk to the bus stop? Try walking it to and from and timing each way so you know what to expect.

Your Evening Routine

Ah, the freedom of daycare. Right now, I can pick up my kid anytime before 5:30 (which used to be 6:00 before COVID). Those days are soon over. At her age, someone must either pick her up from school or be there to meet the bus, so we’ll be working out those details in the coming weeks.

• I like to cook, but I think this shift is going to mean a shift in the meals I make. I may not always have time to spend an hour on dinner, so I’m researching some weeknight meal ideas.
• With work, I may try to pick up my daughter and then work a bit more while she plays. However, it’s probably best if I don’t assume that time will happen every day. That means talking to colleagues and clients about meeting times and shifting them to earlier in the day.
• I’m told there is some homework in kindergarten, so she may need help with that. Will that occur before or after dinner?

Other Tips

• If you don’t already have a master calendar or plan the dinner menu in advance, consider adding that. Read more on project managing your household.
• Check out these cool tools for families for more ideas.

So many things — and this is just the basics! Parents and teachers: what advice did you find helpful for making the transition to kindergarten?