When I got pregnant with my first baby, I drowned myself with pregnancy and child care books. I believe that being a capable mother cannot only be learned through experience but through reading as well.

I may have found the preschool of my dreams but I’m hesitating to enroll my son next year. My boy has still much to learn at home. In general, baby boys tend to take a comparatively longer time to develop than girls, especially in the speech department. I’m a late bloomer myself and I personally think my son is not ready – yet. I don’t want to get ahead of his development, but rather in step with it.

Photo courtesy of SmartParenting.com.ph

There are several factors or signs that you have to look for to know that your child is ready to take on a new, strange world. So before you send him/her off to preschool right away, ponder over these first and then decide. You may also use this list as a guide on how to help your child speed up his/her readiness.

• Potty Trained. Some preschools require their students to be potty trained. Get help from online articles and forums for potty training strategies.

• Separation Issues. If your child cries in the instant that he/she is separated from you, then he/she is not ready to go to preschool yet. You might want to schedule/spend some time apart – give him/her to a nanny or a relative for a couple of minutes or hours each day.

• Independence. Try to gauge his/her level of independence. According to BabyCenter.com, “your child should also be able to take care of some other basic needs, like washing hands after painting, eating lunch without assistance, and sleeping alone.” He/She must also know how to work projects on his/her own.

• Obedience to Instructions. Your child will be expected to follow simple rules and instructions in preschool. Train and teach him on how to pick up toys or throw garbage by giving simple commands. Repetition is key to this kind of training.

• Interaction with other children. If your child is friendly and knows the concept of sharing, then he/she should do fine in preschool. Let your child play with other children often to cultivate his/her social skills and be more participating in group activities.

• Attention span and switching gears. Practice doing activities with your child and learn how he/she shifts from one activity to another. Can he/she focus? Does he/she get bored easily? If his/her attention to a specific activity, like watching cartoons, gets too long, you might want to limit his time on watching TV. Furthermore, help him/her know how to handle transitions a little better without throwing tantrums.

• Physically Fit. Of course, you can’t send off a child to school if he/she is not capable of doing physical exercises, has a serious ailment, or is undergoing a therapy.

You may want to check out Smart Explorers International Pre-School and Learning Center, a preschool in Makati City providing an exceptional education through social, cultural, linguistic, cognitive and academic skills.

Smart Explorers is located at G/F Libran House 144 Legazpi St. Cor. V.A. Ruffino, Legaspi Village, Makati City, Metro Manila. You may contact them at (02) 750-6384, 0949-7764171, and 0927-7053585 or email them at smartexplorers@gmail.com. Like Smart Explorers on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/Petite.Ecole

Published: 2011-10-17 14:10:24