It is a milestone for kids to attend their very first school day at preschool in Singapore. It is their first step toward the career awaiting them in the future. It is no wonder why parents feel myriad emotions, from excitement and pride to fear and longing.
However, it will also be the first time kids will be separated from their parents for a long time. They have to make it through the day without the assistance of their parents and begin to do minor tasks on their own.
Unfortunately, some children are not yet prepared for these steps toward independence. Is your kid one of them? This article will discuss the signs that your child is not yet ready for childcare in Singapore.
How To Tell If Your Kid Is Not Yet Ready For Preschool In Singapore?
Children learn pre-skills in preschool, including language and vocabulary, counting and basic mathematics, problem-solving, gross motor skills and more. These are skills children must learn at a young age, but there are situations where kids are not yet ready for these.
Here are the signs that your child is not yet ready for preschool in Singapore:
1. Issues with independence
The hardest part of sending your kid to preschool is training them to get used to being separated from you for several hours. At first, some children may bawl their eyes out, refusing to say goodbye to their parents. However, after days of adjustment, your child will begin getting used to being left at the childcare. But some kids do not shed a tear and are pretty excited to meet their new children. Although you don’t experience these situations with babies at the best infant care in Singapore, these reactions are natural.
But how will you know if your child is having trouble being separated from the parent? It is also natural for children to feel homesick during the entire class. But if they have not stopped crying the whole day, it indicates that your child is not yet emotionally ready for thebest childcare in Singapore.
How to prepare your kid:
Play dates are a good time to train your child’s independence. Arranging playdates with other kids in the neighbourhood or your child’s cousins prepares your child for socialisation. Prior experience of socialisation with kids their age makes the preschool setting less frightening to kids.
2. Potty-training
Part of independence is potty training. Before preschool, children must know when they should go to the restroom. It would be advantageous if the child already knew how to clean themselves.
Some preschools require parents to toilet-train their children before enrolling them. But there are also lenient ones. Some may require parents to bring changing clothes and diapers in case of accidents.
But don’t worry if your child is not yet fully toilet trained or does not know how to clean themselves yet. The best childcare in Singaporeencourages kids to practise these skills.
How to prepare your kid:
Potty chairs can help your child adjust from using diapers to toilet bowls. It is also ideal to ask your child whether they are going to poop or pee. It helps the child to identify the urge to urinate and defecate. Establishing a potty routine is an essential part of potty training.
3. Unable to express themselves
Communication is a crucial pre-skill for kids before they enter thebest childcare in Singapore. Since these children are three to four years old, they are not expected to communicate with cohesive and complete sentences.
However, they must still know how to communicate or express their feelings through a few words and gestures, so their teachers can understand them. Otherwise, the teachers and their classmates would not know if the kid needs help, has the urge to pee, or is hurt.
How to prepare your kid:
Basically, communication training starts at home. Talking and gesturing to your toddler is a critical part of teaching how to communicate. Parents can read stories and sing a song to their children. Most importantly, pay attention to the child even if it is just random babbling.
4. Lack of focus and attention
Unlike in infant care services in Jurong East, kids have to follow simple rules in preschool. Kids need focus and attention to learn these rules and adhere to them. Without focus and constant distraction, kids will have trouble following simple instructions and directions in performing basic tasks.
When your kid has trouble focusing and easily getting swayed by little distractions, they may not be ready yet for preschool.
How to prepare your kid:
There are several reasons why your child cannot concentrate. Restlessness and an inadequate amount of sleep cause loss of focus. So it is crucial to ensure that your child is well-rested.
There are several ways to improve your child’s focus. Firstly, teaching them self-control will teach them to act appropriately instead of doing what they want to do.
Secondly, developing your child’s memory capability is also key to improving focus. Through memory, children can hold information and follow directions and instructions.
5. Not getting along with other kids
Kids don’t have self-restraint, unlike adults. It is easier to hurt others when they are frustrated, upset, and angry. They may raise their voice and become violent. They may not like sharing their toys with other kids.
Usually, the best childcare in Singapore solves these issues by introducing cooperative play, turn-taking, and teaching conflict resolution. However, parents still have roles to play in this issue.
How to prepare your kid:
Parents must teach their kids to identify their emotions and how to express them appropriately. Moreover, prior socialisation with other kids through play dates may help foster cooperation and build camaraderie among children. These experiences are crucial in building the social-emotional skills of your child.
Conclusion
Children have a unique development phase. Some may be ready to enter childcare in Singaporeat three, while some at five. Although preschool teaches children crucial life skills, basic skill learning, such as communication, potty training, and others, starts at home, and parents play a big role in it.
Are you looking for the best childcare in Singapore? Little Skool House could be the one for you! Visit Little Skool House today.
