Education for a Lifetime

As the countdown begins to your child entering preschool, you want to do all that you can to ensure that he or she is ready. One of the ways to help your child in this regard is to ensure that the child believes in himself or herself. Starting preschool can be an uncertain experience, but a child with a high degree of self-esteem has a better chance of adjusting to this change easily. Children can struggle with self-esteem at various points of their lives, but when you make an effort to build your child up before preschool begins, he or she will begin school on the right foot. Here are some strategies that you can use.

Remind The Child Of His/Her Skills

Preschools are places for children to develop a long list of skills, but if your child already possesses some of these skills, he or she can work on refining and expanding them. Be quick to remind your child of his or her assorted skills. For example, you might say that counting will be something that the preschool students work on, but that your child will excel with this topic because he or she is already a proficient counter. Your child will head to preschool with his or her head held high because of having this skill.

Don't Make Comparisons To Older Siblings

If you have an older child who has already gone through preschool, don't make the mistake of comparing them. For example, it's possible that your older child was better at coloring or knowing letters of the alphabet at the start of preschool. Don't say something such as, "Your sister could recite the entire alphabet at your age, so you've got some catching up to do." Such statements can be detrimental to your child's self-esteem at a critical time in his or her life. Even if you're aware of such differences between your children, keep them to yourself.

Give The Child A Chance To Choose His/Her Clothing

Even by preschool, some children are deeply interested in wearing certain types of clothing. If your son or daughter has shown an interest in this topic, take a step back and allow him or her to choose what he or she will wear to preschool. While you might need to help at times, giving your child this responsibility can bolster his or her self-esteem. For example, your child may have a shirt in which he or she feels good; wearing this shirt to preschool can be a good way to begin the year with plenty of self-esteem.