Is this the last year that you'll have your little child at home? If so, you are probably feeling somewhat melancholy about the rapid passage of time, aren't you? On the other hand, it is exciting to see your little one grow from one stage of his or her life to the next. If your child is starting kindergarten at the end of summer 2019, you might be wanting to prepare him or her for that experience. If so, from establishing a pattern of learning at home to visiting the school your child will be attending, here are some ideas that might help.

Preparation at Home

Isn't it funny to think that even waking your child up earlier than usual is one step to prepare him or her for going to kindergarten? Think about it. Do you let your child stay up late sometimes and then let him or her sleep in the next morning? Consider setting the alarm clock right in your child's room a bit earlier each week.

For example, set the alarm to wake your child up about ten minutes earlier at first, then fifteen minutes earlier, and so on until he or she is waking up in plenty of time to get ready for school. Encourage your child to take care of the alarm mechanism him- or herself, too. He or she may be thrilled to have an alarm clock to call his or her own.

There are many other things you can do at home to prepare your child for kindergarten. For example, consider setting up learn-and-play stations right in your home. One station might have puzzles for your child to work, another station might have paper and crayons or other crafts, and yet another station might have little plastic or wooden beads that your child can use to begin learning a bit about adding or subtracting. You'll probably love being your child's first formal teacher.

Visit the Kindergarten

Before school starts, there will more than likely be an open house where parents get to meet their children's teacher. However, consider visiting the school even before this school year comes to a close. Call ahead of time to let the people in the front office know that you'll be bringing your child by. Ask if there's anybody who could take you and your child on a tour of the school.

Your child might not get to meet the person who will actually be his or her teacher at your first visit. However, just meeting another kindergarten teacher will probably show your child that there will be a caring person instructing him or her.