How Do I Prepare for the School Year?

Try to volunteer as much as you can. It helps you both to be comfortable when you spend a little time in the classroom and get to know the teacher.

Spend a couple of weeks practicing the routine you want in the morning. For example, if school starts at 8:30am and the bus picks up at 7:45am and it takes him an hour to get up, dressed and to the bus stop, then you need to get him used to being up at 6:45am...and going to bed at a time sufficient to up that early, happy and ready to go.

Then, during what would be "school" time, do school type things. I would do tongue in cheek type things like "show me how to tie your shoes," or "show me how to put your winter jacket on," or show me how you pack up everything in your backpack to catch the bus home (and not forget anything)," or "show me how you flush, wash hands and turn the bathroom light off." Read together, play together, learn together until such time as preK would be over. This way, your son will get used to the rhythm of the day. You may discover he needs a nap after all this great learning fun!

And, whatever you do, bury your nerves, your fear and your tears deep in your heart. Your son will take his cues from you...is this a grand adventure or is this something that's sad and scary? After you drop him off, filled with smiles and love, you can go home and have a good cry. Remember to stop in time for the red eyes to fade before you pick him up. Repeat for as many days as necessary!

My eldest starts his senior year of high school in 4 weeks and I'm planning on following my own advice (well, our "review for school" will be AP Government and AP Literature, but the idea is the same :p)! Where did the time go?!

Hugs, dear mama, and good luck.

Have you and your son been to visit the school? My son started kindergarten at 5 (he was a June baby so a young 5 for school). Even though he had been in pre-school for 2 years I was nervous about the transition to "big school".

We visited the school several times - twice when in session and once over the summer just because we drove by and saw the principal's car there. He got to see the kindergarten classrooms, the library, cafeteria, art rooms, etc. The first day of school he was nervous, but the surroundings were familiar to him, and to me, I could at least visualize where he was during the day.

I also talked it up - told him how wonderful school was going to be - how excited I was for him to be starting big school, and on and on. All the talk helped me psych myself up also. LOL

Ultimately, I think we Moms have a harder time with these changes than our children do.

Good Luck
God Bless

one of the things i wasn't as prepared for mentally as i could have been was all the fundraisers and other reasons that we needed to pay money for something, fall pictures, spring pictures, yearbooks, contributions to teachers gifts, pta dues, scholastic book orders, fundraisers, school events like the breakfast with Santa, fieldtrips etetc./ LIttle stuff but it addes up so start saving now or decide in your mind what your budget is for school "extras".

Have lots of batteries in your camera for his first day and all other events. and plan something for your self after you drop him off or put him on the Big boy bus. If you want to be alone and cry or if you want to be with others who will understand, what ever is going to fit you and comfort you best,plan something, it makes it hurt less.

Plan some time off of work if you aren't a SAHM to coming in and volunteer for parties or what ever. If your school has a website see if the 2011-2012 calendar is up yet with things like open house etc. Not sure if preK woudl do all the same things but they might.

sometimes schools give a list and ask you to provide boxes of tissues or hand sanitizer etc, but you'll have to wait to see.

Plan for him to be exhausted and cranky, or hungry and spastic, It's a big long day and sometimes it takes some time to adjust and get in a good rhythm.

And be sure to start changing from summer sleeping schedule (haha right) to getting up and out the door by a certain time. Give yourself and your lil guy at least 2 solid weeks of practicing the new routine before school starts.

He will be fine, He will have the best teacher ever, and make wonderful friends who have lovely parents, and he will learn so much and get into a great college and have a fabulous career someday. and You will be fine too!!! BIG HUGS.

keep reminding yourself it is so much harder on us moms than the kids!!

Let him help pick out his supplies. Take him by the school a few times before you take him the first time. Just let him see it from the road and start getting excited. Don't even allow for one second of him thinking you are nervous. You need to believe it's going to be awesome so he can believe it too. It'll be great :)

Do talk to him a lot about the way to be nice and respectful and what to do if any of the kids are not nice. Don't make it a big deal so that he'd worry. But just make sure you give him some idea of how you want to hear about everything and that the teacher is there to help him if he needs anything.

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Oh my gosh I still remember both of my children's first days of school. And of course the video camera document the second one (didn't have one for the first).Then I got into the car after he got on the bus (how queer, I suppose but do not regret it one bit) and followed the bus all the way to school to watch him go in!!! Still tears me up and they are twenty six and just about 21. Congratulations! You are doing everything right! It is tough turning little ones over to the world.

Haha, I like what someone said about getting ready to write a lot of checks, it's SO true!!!
At our school the teachers give out a list of supplies needed on the first day. This can include things you might not ordinarily think of, like boxes of tissues and rolls of paper towels. And frequently the teacher will pool the supplies, meaning that your child's crayons, glue sticks, etc. get put into the classroom supply, they are not "his."
Also the backpack I bought my son was not big enough! He was a little guy, so I got him a little backpack. But it turned out that the Friday Folder he came home with every week with his work, art, notes was HUGE. So you might want to hold off on that too.
Good luck and have fun! He will be fine and so will you :) My baby boy (also my first) leaves for college next month. I'm SO excited for him but I know when he leaves I'm going to be a blubbering mess : /

Definitely have your camera ready for his first day. Also have a full schedule for yourself that day to keep yourself super busy. Plan something fun for when you pick him up from school, a trip to the dairy queen or dinner made up from his favorite foods, etc. so you have the opportunity to hear all about his day. And definitely what the others have said...a visit to the school, playground, etc. so he gets familiar with the surroundings. It will be harder for you than him though :)

My grand daughter will start preschool in a few weeks. She went to visit the classroom once while school was still in session and she met her teacher. She was very adament about "only ladies can be teachers" even tho her mommy explained how men can be teachers too. Shes certain it cant be... Well, she met Mr Brian, who will be her teacher and she liked him enough, but said, "when school starts he will be a lady.". So unless Brian quits and a woman is hired, or Brian has a sex change, she might be one upset little girl.
We have driven by the school a few times, and I talk about Brian being such a nice man, and how much fun it will be. Pretty much all she is interested in now is the fact they have dinosaurs and books, so thats helping. She is excited to go and we think she will be so happy to meet new kids and play and hope she can stop bossing everyone else around. She NEEDS this more than we need her to go, but I sure hope shes ok with Mr. Brian. I know my daughter has said she will have her going to bed earlier than usual a couple weeks before, so thats good, even tho she is used to waking up early to come here most days. Ive been working with her on numbers and letters, but not pushing or worried. She will do better with a teacher telling her things. Ive bought her some clothes, and mommy bought her a back pack. We dont even know what she needs yet but bought it anyway. I will be happy to see her go. I need some time to get things done. Mommy is used to not being with her all the time since she works, but she will be emotional cause her baby is growing up.

aww mommy well you are doing the right thing, target right now has school supply sales so stack up on elmers glue sticks, and glue bottles, crayong and such. otherwise don't fret too much. for me, i am doing outings with my soon to be second graders. we are enjoying every day until school starts. then the day before school starts i will get some beer, stuff them in the fridge, and open one the first night of school to celebrate maintaining my sanity while the school was out. :)

Get him on a good sleep/wake schedule about a week in advance. Breath. Order wine with your lunch. Let go.
We give our kids roots and wings. This is the wings part. It's incredibly difficult and exhilarating at the same time. Good luck mama!

Oh--we always take a picture in the same spot on the porch every "first day"!

Money, LOTS of MONEY.

I wrote more checks during orientation than I have in the last year.

Well I do some basic school work with all three of my kids. My youngest turned 5 yrs in May. She works on a workbook I also have her copy words to used to writting. She is also reading some basic books.

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Well I do some basic school work with all three of my kids. My youngest turned 5 yrs in May. She works on a workbook I also have her copy words to used to writting. She is also reading some basic books.