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Ah, Kindergarten! Reading, coloring, snack time, glue sticks, recess….. There is so much to learn and look forward to. I remember sending my first off to Kindergarten with a mixture of feelings- excitement, anxiety, and a little bit of sadness.
If you are preparing to send a child off to Kindergarten in the near future, you may be experiencing some of these feelings as well. For me, part of the anxiety came from worrying about if she would be able to manage on her own. For so long, she had relied on me to do things with (and sometimes for) her.
Would she be able to zip up her coat? Button her pants? Open her lunch containers? Turns out my little one was just fine (and yours will be, too), but I was really glad that I had thought ahead and worked on some skills with her before putting her on the bus that first day! I’m going to tell you some of my self help skills to teach your child before he starts kindergarten.
Self Help Skills To Teach Your Child Before Starting Kindergarten
Today I’d love to share with you some self help skills to teach your child that you can start working on now that will help set your child up for success when it comes time for Kindergarten.
Dress Self
Yes, I know what you’re thinking! I’ll be sending her to school fully dressed! Why must she know how to dress?! Accidents happen- there is a good reason your school probably requires you to keep a change of clothes in your child’s backpack! Paint spills, playgrounds can be muddy, and there isn’t always enough time to make it to the bathroom. There are plenty of examples of times where your child may need to change clothes. Take the time now to practice dressing and undressing so that you can be sure that if she needs to, she’ll be able to change her clothes on her own
Use the Bathroom
OK, this is an easy one, right? You’re probably thinking: my child has been potty trained since age 2, of course, he can use the bathroom on his own! However, using the bathroom alone at school can be a different story.
Some things to consider are- can your child unbutton/unzip/pull down his own pants? Can your child get himself on the toilet seat? Is your child able to navigate wiping himself without too much trouble?
Some Kindergarten classrooms do have their own bathrooms, but many will use the main bathrooms. These may have hand dryers, which can be scary and loud for kids. Make sure you know what type of facility your child will be using when you try thids self help skills to teach your child. Have them practice and get used to what navigating a bathroom alone is like.
Zip and Button
These two skills will come in handy when using the bathroom when going out or coming in from recess, and when packing and unpacking for the day. Luckily, these are easy skills to practice. Consider using a commercially available product (like this learn to dress board), or just practice with clothing you have at home.
Wash Hands
This self help skills to teach your child will be an instant hit with your kid! You can get some fun soap with your child’s favorite character (try these Sesame Street ones) and a yummy scent.
Some important skills here include: amount of soap to use (many kids go way overboard!), how long to wash (most kids don’t do it long enough!), and how to dry efficiently without using 100 paper towels (I taught my own kids how to do a 10 second shake over the trash can before using a paper towel in order to cut down on using too many)! These are all things that you can practice at home and when using public restrooms.
Open Containers and Straws
Whether your child packs or purchases lunch, it’s likely that she will be opening a container, a package, or a straw. Some containers and wrappers are a lot harder than others, so make sure to practice at home to make sure she can open them on her own.
Many schools do have lunch aides that walk around to help, but your child will feel much more capable if she can do it on her own without having to wait for help! A few that you can try to include are this 3 compartment bento box or this bento lunchbox set. It will be great for self help skills to teach your child.
Clean Up
Again, this may be one that you think your child has already mastered, but it’s important to keep practicing and encouraging your child to clean up after himself.
It can be easy at home to fall into a routine where your child “sort of” picks up. And you do the rest. At school, it will be important that he knows how to clean up from start to finish. The teacher will not be able to (nor should she) clean up after 20+ young people!
BONUS: Tie Shoes.
This is something that can be very tricky for some kids! There are a million different ways that you can teach your child to do it. Play around with a few options and find what works best for your little one. There are a number of great books available that may also help. (links here).
There you have it! I hope that these self help skills to teach your child are helpful. I would love to hear about your experiences with preparing your child for Kindergarten. Please join us in our FREE Facebook community to share.
As always, if you have concerns about your child’s development and would like to set up a free consultation to discuss your concerns, please reach out! I would love to help you determine your child’s individual needs. We are here to support you as you help your child blossom!
If you enjoyed reading these Self Help Skills to Teach Your Child Before Starting Kindergarten, you might also enjoy reading:
Preschool Routines: Set Your Child Up For Success
6 Insanely Simple Ways How To Clean Home With Kids
