Leaving your kid in someone else’s care is really, really hard. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a mama fresh off of maternity leave or a stay-at-home parent that has children in preschool. When you are entrusting someone else entirely to care for your child without you there, well, that’s not an easy thing to just do. And we get that.
Communication is Key
Communication between a parent and teacher is extremely important. Did the kiddo have a rough night? Let us know. Having a teaching job can have its own challenges, and if we know ahead of time how the day’s going to go, it makes it that much easier to tackle the day and make it better for your child. If there are things going on at home, you have concerns, or even just information that would be good to have, we would love to know. When we have a little insight into how your child is doing or feeling, or what they’re going through, it makes things more manageable for everyone. We always want to make things as seamless and easy as possible for you the parents and your kiddos.
And communication goes both ways! It is important for us teachers, whether it’s in preschool or childcare, to let you know how your kid’s day went. We spend an awful lot of our day with your children, and it is vital to have an open door of communication between us.
LABEL EVERYTHING
Sounds silly, but this saves a lot of tears and frustration. You can never over label. That change of clothes? Label it. Binky? Label it. Bottle? Label it. Favorite naptime stuffy? DEFINITELY LABEL IT. You can write right on something with a Sharpie, or they even make cute little labels to sew onto things now.
Don’t Dress to Impress
When your child is at preschool, we are going to PLAY! One of the best things about having a teaching job is all the interaction we get to have with the kids. Being a kid is fun! We are going to be down on the floor, playing in messy sensory bins, teaching the kiddos to eat on their own, and ALL THE ARTS AND CRAFTS. Markers, paint, glue — we are going to get messy. In preschool, there is no one to impress. We are there to learn and play and sometimes, clothes may get ruined (or someone might have a potty accident!). But that’s ok! All in a day’s work. So send your kiddo in comfy, favorite play clothes and oh yeah, send some extras too. You never know when you might need a full on change.
Say Goodbye and Leave
This is a tough one, but honestly the most important. We understand — this is so much easier said than done. How do we expect you just to leave? When you’re trying to drop off at preschool and your child is crying for you, it’s not easy to just tear yourself away and leave. But honestly? Just do it.
Your child will be fine. We promise.
When you’re dropping off and trying to leave, the best possible thing to do is give a kiss and hug, say “I love you”, and then head out the door. Even promising an “I’ll be back” is good enough. Don’t look back; just keep walking. It sounds cold, but we assure you it’s not. It’ll honestly probably hurt you more than it hurts your child. We’ve been around long enough to know. We can guarantee that 99.99% of the time, your child will stop crying before you even walk out the door (now that hurts). We’ve seen it! We’re not quite sure what the science is behind that, but it’s true. The longer you stay and try to calm them, the longer they will cry for you. When we take on this teaching job, we know we are the caregivers for your little beans when you can’t be. We are there to comfort them, teach them, and guide them. We cross our hearts and promise you. They are absolutely fine after you say goodbye. If you feel this still just might not work for you and your family, could try coming up with a routine. Knowing that this routine happens every time can have a calming effect on your little one.
School Doesn’t Stop at School
Especially in preschool, carrying on activities at home is one of the best things you can do for your kiddo. Read them books, practice math, even just playing with blocks will encourage education and absolutely help them in the future at school. Too much learning is never a bad thing!
Having a teaching job at a preschool is an amazingly rewarding profession. We have these little ones come in, and we get to see them grow, develop skills, and learn new things. They are a piece of our day, every day. When working together with parents and sharing these events with them, everyone has an amazing experience and a great start to education. What more could you want for your child? If there’s something you’d like to discuss with your teacher or if this sounds like the place for you, contact us here. We’d love to hear from you.