Preschool is a key stage in your child's schooling and development. Their preschool years will be marked by several transitions, some more significant than others. These transitions can cause stress for the child, and very often for parents! It is important to prepare for these transitions so that you can experience them by instilling calm and confidence in your child. They need you!

Tips for preparing for preschool

• Talk about school as a family, read books about it, and tell them your (good!) memories of school.
• If your child has always been cared for by you, start to separate from them for varying lengths of time. Trust your child and their ability to learn to cope well with these separations, which will be beneficial for both them and you.
• Involve them in preparing for their return to school (buying slippers, choosing their outfit).

At école M, we're holding an open day in June. Your child will be able to see his or her classroom and spend some time there, meeting some of his or her classmates and teachers. On this day, we'll give him a little back-to-school booklet with photos of his school and teachers. Please take the time to look at it with your child over the summer, to help him prepare for his first day at school.

Transitions between each preschool year

At the end of June, we inform both children and parents about the class compositions for the upcoming school year. This way, there are no surprises, and the child goes on holiday knowing who their classmates and teachers will be when school resumes. Take the time to talk about it with them. Whether they stay in their current class or move to a new one, both options have advantages, so discuss it enthusiastically with your child. Listen to any hesitations they may have and answer their questions. We are also here to support this transition, which, although often smoother and simpler, is still a change that needs to be explained and prepared for with the child.

Preparing for entry into CP (First Grade)

Your child is growing up, and their next school year will be in elementary school. It's an important, exciting stage that needs to be well supported to prevent it from being too stressful:

• Before thinking about integration into CP, it's important to support the last few weeks of preschool. The school will be organizing gatherings to celebrate the completion of this first stage in your child's schooling, so try to be present at these moments.
• Value everything the child has done and learned during their preschool years. You can look at their folders or photos from these three years, and talk about all the progress they've made. This will give them the self-confidence to approach this new stage.
• If possible, visit the elementary school where your child will be going.
• Find out to see if some of their classmates will be in their school or class. If not, reassure them that they can still keep in touch with their friends (weekend visits, birthdays, etc.).

Arriving or leaving during preschool or mid-year

It can happen that, due to a move or other necessities, a child changes schools between two preschool years, or even mid-year. With proper support, the child can cope very well with these changes:

• Take the time to clearly and simply explain to your child that they will be changing schools, a few weeks before their departure.
• Acknowledge his sadness if he expresses it, and reassure him that just as he felt comfortable in his current school, he will also feel comfortable in his new one.
• Arrange a visit to the new school before their first day, if possible.
• Also take the time to mark their departure from their current school, by saying goodbye to their classmates and teachers.

Both at school and in life, your child will go through several transitions between the ages of 2 and 6. As you may have noticed, the same advice applies every time. Reassure your child. They may be sad to leave familiar situations and people they know and love, and they may be afraid of the unknown, which is perfectly normal. Listen to them, let them express their feelings, without trying to elicit them if your child doesn't feel them. It is the adult's role to talk to them, to explain to them what is happening so that they approach these changes perhaps with a little stress, but above all with confidence and excitement!