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Toddling Off to School
Is Your Toddler Ready for Preschool?
By Keath Castelloe Low
Some new parents express worries about how their child will feel in a totally new environment at preschool. Many share their own concern about "letting go" especially if their child has never been in a structured program. Dr. Brown says that it is perfectly normal for a child to feel scared or anxious in a new situation. "Gentle nudging is healthy, but it is important to loosen that virtual umbilical cord to let your child fly on her own," she says. "Good preschool programs will have a gradual transition to school (shorter days the first week, teacher home visits, parent-child activities the first day of school, etc.)."
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Goodbyes are often as hard for the parent as they are for the children. Frue agrees. Will's crying at preschool drop-off time was torturous, but she says that "his teachers said he would stop crying by the time I was in the car and sometimes before I could even leave the building."