3079: How to Actually Be Ready For Kindergarten by Jen of This Time of Mine on Parenting Tips

[00:00:02] Oh, fühlt sich das nach Sommer an. Die neue Sommerwäsche von Chibo begeistert mit leuchtenden Farben und fröhlichen Trints. Feine Spitze, leichte Mikrofaser und sommerliche Schnitte sorgen für pures Wohlgefühl, selbst an heißen Tagen. Entdecke jetzt die neue Wäschekollektion von Chibo und finde deine Lieblingsstücke für den Sommer. Das gibt es nur bei G.

[00:00:56] How to Actually Be Ready for Kindergarten by Jen of ThisTimeofMine.com It happened. Your little baby is now old enough to start kindergarten. Among the many emotions you're probably feeling right now, one of them is likely nervousness. Is my child ready for kindergarten? A quick internet search for kindergarten readiness skills will probably bring lists and lists of academic skills that will probably just stress you out.

[00:01:24] Now, this post contains a list too, but lucky for you, it's not that kind. This post is not meant to create any feelings of inadequacy or stress. Instead, I want to help you think through seven skills that you may not have thought of that will really help your kids as they start to get ready for kindergarten. Skills that have nothing to do with letters, numbers or shapes. Can your kids 1. Find the bathroom

[00:01:50] When my son started kindergarten, he told me that he was nervous he would never be able to remember where everything was. It was a big school and he was brand new. But, he said he was glad that he at least knew where the bathroom was. After swapping first day of school stories with some other moms, I found out that all of our kids found similar comfort in at least knowing where the bathrooms were. As random and as funny as it seems, we realized it was an important thing to know.

[00:02:16] Having to go potty can make some kids feel very vulnerable and embarrassed, especially when they're brand new and so little. So, at least knowing where to go will help them as they build confidence in their new environment. When you go to meet the teacher before school starts, take a second and point out where the bathrooms are. And don't forget to mention which one is for them. 2. Zip, snap, or button their clothes Speaking of going potty, are your kiddos able to take care of their clothes after they go?

[00:02:45] If they've gone to preschool, chances are they may have already mastered this. But, there are so many kids going into kindergarten who aren't 100% able to zip, snap, or button their bottoms after going to the bathroom. Don't worry, they're still little and there will most likely be adults that can help. But, they'll feel even more confident if they're able to take care of that all by themselves. So, spend a little time this summer refining that skill. 3. Secure their shoes Some schools require separate shoes for PE.

[00:03:15] If so, kindergarteners will definitely need practice securing their shoes since they'll have to switch. But, even if that's not the case, chances are their shoes could come undone during recess or at any other time of the day. So, let them practice tying or Velcroing their shoes all by themselves. I love slip-ons or Velcro for my kids. They make things so much easier. Shoelaces can be annoying. Even my fourth grader still gets caught running around with her shoes untied.

[00:03:42] She's too busy playing and having fun to mess with the practical things like that, I guess. 4. Open their lunchbox If you're sending lunches from home, go over how to open and close everything before school starts. Even if something is common sense, kids will still be distracted with all the fun and bustle of the big new lunchroom. So, it never hurts to practice. I've also found that I need to make sure I remind my kids what to do when they're done eating.

[00:04:07] I like to remind them to throw things like open yogurt cups away and to always close their lunch containers. This saves their lunchboxes from getting too smelly or gross. 5. Zip their backpack Getting new school supplies is fun and exciting for kids. So, use that excitement to let them practice zipping and unzipping their backpacks and taking folders in and out. They'll be pros by the first day of school. 6. Ask for help

[00:04:35] Whether kids are shy or outgoing, asking for help is a skill. Teach them that it's okay to speak up and ask for help, especially when they're unsure. Both of my school-aged kids struggle with this at first, and they have two very different personalities. It can be scary for kids to ask for help when they're new and unsure. So, remind them that everyone is new, and it's okay to not know something. You could even role-play to encourage them to practice asking for help. 7. Approach friends

[00:05:04] Our kids meet lots of new people when they start kindergarten, and as parents, we all hope that our kids will make friends. 8. But even though many kids seem like naturals at making friends, some still need a little coaching. 9. Remind them that it's okay to feel nervous when they meet new people, and coach them on how to ask kids to play. 9. We had to do this a lot with my oldest daughter, who was quite shy. 10. She wanted to play with kids, but she was so shy that she couldn't come up with the words. 10. Instead, she waited and hoped that they would come up to her instead.

[00:05:34] 10. Many times they did. 10. But sometimes they got caught up in their own playing and they forgot. 11. So we helped her think through scenarios where she would be the one to initiate. 11. She was terrified at first, but we kept encouraging her each day before school, and thankfully she got better at it and made some wonderful friends that year. 12. Conclusion 12. Sending our children off to kindergarten can be an exciting, scary, and even sad thing. 13. Why are they growing up so fast?

[00:06:00] 14. And as parents, it can be easy to stress out about all the things they need to know before they start. 14. But I remember holding on to the advice that more experienced mothers gave to me, and I'm giving that same advice to you. 15. They're going to be just fine. There's a lot of change and learning that will happen, but they'll figure it out. 16. And so will you. And by simply checking in on these few skills, you'll be able to ease this wonderful transition for your child.

[00:06:26] 16. They'll be ready for kindergarten and more able to focus on the fun things, like numbers, letters, shapes, and friends. 16. You just listened to the post titled, How to Actually Be Ready for Kindergarten, by Jen of thistimeofmind.com. Hey, it's Justin from Optimal Living Daily. 16. Before we start, I want to share a super powerful practice I use called NSDR, or Non-Sleep Deep Rest.

[00:06:54] In just about 10 minutes or so, this yoga nidra practice leaves you feeling as refreshed as after a nap without actually sleeping. 16. Experience it for yourself on our guided podcast. Search NSDR and look for the one from Optimal Living Daily. And some wonderful work from Jen today, which we thank her for. I really loved her blend of both task-driven tips and social tips.

[00:07:19] So I thought it was amazing how she got this, you know, she got those interpersonal aspects of starting school by her sixth step, talking about talking with friends and approaching the teacher. But one thing to keep in mind is that this list is full of amazing, yet universal tips.

[00:07:36] And it's not a bad thing. But with how quickly school and its policies and its technologies change, it might not also be a bad idea to call first and just try to get a sense of what the kid's day-to-day life in kindergarten might be like. Because there might be some elements that feel new or unexpected to you. So getting briefed on them can definitely help you brief your kids before kindergarten starts. Though that could really be applied far past kindergarten.

[00:08:05] Maybe even into high school, if you really want to be a helicopter parent. So food for thought as we come to the end once again, everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in and making another episode possible. Enjoy your Saturday and be sure to come back tomorrow for our bonus episode, as well as our regularly scheduled episode. That's where your optimal life awaits. Shaun's best. Shaun & The Rockies