Checklist To Navigate the Transition to Preschool

To help your child get the most out of the preschool experience, we asked a Start Early expert for some advice for parents handling this transition. Annaliese Newmeyer a teacher at Educare Chicago, a program of Start Early, shared her tips to help you and your child prepare for preschool.

Before the first day:

• Drive or walk by your child’s new school. Seeing their school ahead of time will help familiarize them with their new space. You can show them where things are like the main door and the playlot. This will help your child feel more comfortable with the space and how things will look on their first day.
• Meet with the teacher. Meeting your child’s teacher ahead of their first day is very helpful for both you and your little learner. At this meeting, you can help your child learn their new teacher’s name and give your child a chance to become comfortable with them. You can also take this time to ask the teacher what your child will be learning and what skills they expect children to have on day one. Then, you can set some realistic and developmentally-appropriate goals for your child. For example, do you work on your child’s reading? Together you can set goals that can help your child develop early literacy skills, like being able to recognize their name and the letters in their name.
• Celebrate this milestone. This can be the beginning of a tradition to say goodbye to Summer and hello to the school year! Maybe you and your child go get an ice cream sundae or go to a baseball game or stay up late and watch movies and eat snacks together.

On the first day:

• Be prepared. Bring a bookbag with a change of clothes, a favorite blanket or stuffed animal for nap time, and even a picture of your family. Having something that reminds your child of home with help them feel more at ease in their new environment.
• Make sure your child eats a good breakfast and gets some rest. Your child’s school might give them breakfast, but it might be later, and you don’t want them to be too hungry!
• Expect the first day to be easy but it might get hard the second day or the second week when reality sets in that they must return to school every single weekday.
• Explain to your child that this will be a hard transition for you too! You will miss them, and they will have to meet new people and have new experiences but each day will get easier.
• Make sure you say goodbye, do not sneak away. Have the same goodbye every day; we call this a goodbye ritual. It can be a hug, a special handshake or a dance! This ritual will help your child learn what to expect when you come to class and will help ease their anxiety when you leave.

Ongoing:

• Ask questions! Ask your child’s teacher how each day is going and what you can do to help make it better. And be sure to ask your child how their day was. At first, they might just say nothing, but as you ask them every day, their answers will become more and more descriptive.
• Volunteer in the classroom if you can. Get to know the other kids and parents. This is your new community, your new village and you are there to support each other!
• Be Open: Covid has affected children in many different ways.  We are seeing more children who are qualifying for services, such as speech therapy, due to having to wear masks or seeing adults wear mask, when they were first learning to talk.  These type of Early Invention services are so important for children to receive; they are free and the earlier they get them, the less likely they will need them later in life!

Checklist To Prepare for a New Child Care Setting

Once you’ve found a quality setting—from a center-based program to home child care to a relative’s house—here’s some advice from our expert Teresa Bennett a family support specialist at Educare Chicago, a program of Start Early, on how you can prepare your child for their first day of daycare:

• Visit the Child Care Center
  To help your child get to know the new environment, visit the child care center with your child before the first day. You and your child can meet the caregiver. Take photos of the route to the center, the center entrance and the room where your child will spend the day. You can assemble the photos as a book, which you can use to talk to your child at home about what their day will be like and where they will go.
• Talk to Your Child
  To help prepare your infant or toddler to go to out-of-home care, explain using language and concepts they will understand about where they’ll be going and what they’ll be doing. Talk about how they will meet new children and participate in fun activities. Always mention that you’ll be back at the end of the day to take them home.
• Build a Relationship With the Caregiver
  Your young child may not be able to talk, but they can observe your actions. They’ll form their opinion of the caregiver based on your reactions. Make time each day to talk to the caregiver and begin building a strong relationship. Caregivers at quality early learning programs see parents as partners and will want to develop a strong relationship with you, your child’s first and most important teacher.
• Share Information About Your Child
  Talk to the caregiver about your child’s cues, likes, dislikes and temperament. How do they like to be fed, soothed and put to sleep? Your tips will help the caregiver know how to best care for your child without having to guess which methods to try. You can also explain what developmental skills you’d like your child to learn. Ask for daily updates about your child’s progress from the caregiver.
• Create a Morning Routine
  Routines help children feel in control of their surroundings, which eases anxiety. Create a morning routine so your infant or toddler knows what to expect before going to the child care center. Find out if the center provides breakfast so you know whether or not your child needs to eat at home.
• Develop a Goodbye Ritual
  Create a goodbye ritual so that your infant or toddler starts to feel comfortable with their caregiver when you leave. Your ritual could be a hug, a high five or interacting together with a toy before you leave. Whatever activity you choose, make sure you take time to talk to your child about what’s happening and don’t rush the process. Once your child becomes used to the goodbye ritual, they’ll be better able to regulate their emotions so that they can calm themself more easily when you go. Learn more about separation anxiety.
• Bring a Transitional Object
  Your child may feel more at ease in a new environment with an object that reminds them of home. This could be a photo of your family that’s laminated or a stuffed animal that your child enjoys. The child can hold the object during the day as a reminder that this new environment is temporary and that you will come back to take them home.
• Ask What You Can Do at Home
  To extend your child’s learning, ask the caregiver what school readiness skills the children will be working on during the day and what related activities you can do at home. The reverse is also true: share information about what activities you are doing at home that your child is interested in and ask if the teacher can do something similar in class.
• Complete Any Medical Requirements
  Find out from the school or center what doctor or dentist appointments must be completed or scheduled before the first day.
• Bring a Change of Clothes
  It’s a good idea to bring a change of clothes for your infant or toddler in case they encounter any water, finger paint, etc. Also, ask the center if you need to bring diapers or formula for your child.
• Share Your Contact Information
  Let the caregiver know if it’s best to reach you by phone or email and share that contact information.

Project Overview and Timeline

March-May 2024: Discovery

This phase includes a review of existing policies, research and data on family/child homelessness, identification of gaps in policies, research and data, and creation of an inventory of relevant past or current  initiatives focused on child/family homelessness  in Illinois or elsewhere across the country.

June-November 2024: Theory of Change

In this phase, the project team will collaborate with stakeholders, including people with lived experience, to create a Theory of change that clearly identifies the primary drivers of homelessness for Illinois families at the local, state, and federal level and articulates a strategy for preventing and ending homelessness among expectant parents and young children and their families in Illinois, complete with identified impact goals, objectives, and outputs/activities.  

December 2024-March 2025: Action Plan

In the final phase of the project, the project team will continue partnering with stakeholders to create an action plan that identifies a set of levers that are most likely to reduce homelessness among pregnant people and families with young children in Illinois over the next 5 years.

Other Project Activities and Components

• Convene an Advisory Committee of cross-systems experts and leaders, including individuals with lived experience, to provide support and guidance on project activities. 

• Compile and examine policies, research and data, and promising initiatives as it relates to homelessness among pregnant people and families with young children, with an intentional focus on youth who are pregnant or parenting, individuals experiencing homelessness who are living with or at high risk of HIV infection while pregnant, formerly incarcerated women parenting young children, and women and children experiencing domestic violence.  

• Conduct listening sessions and other engagement opportunities to gather input and feedback from experts, people with lived experience, and system leaders to inform development of the Theory of Change and Action Plan. 

• Create a public facing report detailing findings from the project, including a comprehensive Action Plan aligned to the Theory of Change that identifies priorities for impact in the current landscape. 

At Start Early, we believe that fostering an inclusive culture where all voices and experiences are valued is crucial for the healthy development of children. Celebrating Juneteenth is a powerful way to instill these values in the next generation, helping children take pride in their identity and appreciate the unique contributions they bring to the world.

By celebrating Juneteenth with your child, you are not only honoring a critical moment in history but also paving the way for a future rooted in understanding, acceptance, and equality.

Resources to Help Celebrate and Honor Juneteenth

Here are age-appropriate book recommendations and a celebratory Juneteenth song to share with your little one:

Read:

• My First Juneteenth High Contrast Baby Book by Gisbert Weber (recommended for infants)
• The Story of Juneteenth by Dorena Williamson (recommended for toddlers)
• Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper (recommended for children in pre-K or kindergarten). You can also listen to this story read aloud.
• Tune into this Juneteenth read-aloud of I’m Gonna Push Through by Jasmyn Wright.

Listen:

• Fyütch and the Alphabet Rockers created Juneteenth Song for Kids, a song about what Juneteenth is and why we celebrate Black freedom and liberation.

Caring parents want to protect their children from harm, which can make it difficult to know how to teach children about the history and create awareness about events like Pride. With many neighborhoods and communities showing their support for Pride in June, it’s only natural for children to get curious and start asking questions.

Child development experts agree parents should keep explanations simple and honest. It is also important to be positive and affirming. When adults listen to children without judgment, and meet children where they are at, it creates a foundation for open communication. When parents promote values of acceptance, children will grow proud of their identity and appreciate diversity.

Resources to Help Celebrate Pride Month with Your Children

Pride month is an important opportunity to teach children about what it means to be a member of LGBTQIA2S+ communities, share the history behind the month-long celebration, and to have some fun together as a family. Here are activities and resources that can be helpful when teaching your little one about Pride:

Watch:

• Here is a fantastic video of children sharing their wisdom on Pride celebrations: Kids Celebrate Pride NYC | Recess Therapy.
• Parents can visit the Trevor Project’s YouTube channel to watch Stories of Pride.

Read:

• The Welcoming Schools Human Rights Campaign Foundation developed a list of the Best Diverse Children’s Books with Transgender, Non-Binary and Gender Expansive Characters.
• RAISING LUMINARIES Books For Littles has cultivated a list of Queer Rainbow Children’s Books by Indigenous, Black and Brown authors.
• Social Justice Books, a Teaching For Change project, shares an LGBTQ+ booklist for children, young adults, and educators, which includes books for Early Childhood: Learning About Gender Diversity.
• The American Library Association’s Rainbow Book List is published annually and represents an array of diverse stories and identities representing the LGBTQIA2S+ youth experience.

Listen:

• Alphabet Rockers make intergenerational music that creates brave spaces to shape a more equitable world through hip-hop. Here is a video of them celebrating Pride in San Francisco. Their songs “We Royal”, “They/Them” and “Just Be” highlight LGBTQIA2S+ people.
• Additional LGBTQIA2S+ themed music for children is shared on the NPR website: A New Children’s Album Celebrates Kids Who Are Transgender And Nonbinary.

Additional Resources:

• There are also many activities that can be found online about celebrating Pride with Children. Fatherly offers: 10 Ways To Celebrate Pride Month With Your Kids and keep an eye out for local events where you live.

It is essential to involve families in the building and improvement of the system itself. This means inviting families to co-create programs, policies, and systems as equal partners, working side-by-side with public sector leaders and educators. At Start Early, we believe the best way to do this is by teaching systems leaders and families how to work together using the principles of human-centered design (HCD). HCD helps systems consciously create programs that replenish relationships with families and communities, rather than extract a toll from them. One strategy that leverages human-centered design to build comprehensive, equitable, birth to five systems is Family Centered Design from Start Early’s Innovation Lab. Through the Family Centered Design experience, families gain the skills and confidence to make positive changes in the policies, services and systems that affect their lives, and systems leaders gain insight into the families’ lived experience, needs and behaviors.

Finally, system leaders and advocates must deploy strategies to intentionally partner with families – going beyond conducting surveys, focus groups, or interviews to ensure strong family influence and power in decision-making. Examples include forming a parent committee to influence policy and programming decisions, and/or including family leaders on a team to support implementation. And to enable family leadership in these efforts, supports such as stipends, travel reimbursement, and interpretative services should be provided.

Need extra support with promoting family leadership and effectively partnering with families? Start Early Consulting invites systems leaders to leverage our consultants as strategic advisors with this and other work toward a more equitable early childhood system. Please reach out to us at Consulting@StartEarly.org to learn more.

We asked Michael Gouterman, our mental health expert, why prioritizing parental mental health is essential for nurturing a healthy environment for children to thrive.

• Understanding the Impact
  Parents are their children’s first teachers, and it is the quality of parent-child relationships and interactions that create the foundational skills that children need to be successful in school and in life. When parents experience mental health challenges, it can have ripple effects on their children’s development.
• The Dysregulated World
  Imagine a child born into a world where their caregivers are grappling with their own dysregulation—an environment marked by stress, anxiety or depression. In such circumstances, the ability of caregivers to provide consistent emotional support and regulation may be compromised, impacting the child’s sense of safety and security. Read our tackling tough topics posts on: Racism and Violence
• The Transmission of Stress
  Stress has a way of affecting parent-child relationships and impacting the way children may perceive the world. When parents struggle with their mental health, children may internalize this stress, leading to challenges in emotional regulation and social and emotional development.
• Empowering Parents as Advocates
  Recognizing the importance of parental mental health is not about assigning blame, but rather acknowledging the complex interplay between individual well-being and environmental factors. Empowering parents to advocate for their own mental health is paramount, ensuring they have access to resources and support systems to address their needs.
• Breaking the Cycle
  When we prioritize parental mental health, we can break the cycle of the intergenerational transmission of stress and help create an environment where children can thrive. When parents prioritize their own well-being, and are better equipped to provide the support and stability their children need to navigate life’s challenges.

Helpful Mental Health Resources for Parents

• Mental Health Resources for Parents and Caregivers – Administration for Children and Families
• Parenting while coping with depression
• Resilience topic landing page and resources – American Psychological Association
• Taking care of ourselves – Activities for parents (English)
• Taking care of ourselves – Activities for parents (Spanish)
• Checking your employee benefits for Employee Assistance Programs, which typically include mental health support.

Mindfulness Tips:

• Check your employee benefits for subscriptions to paid mindfulness and meditation services, such as Calm or Chill Anywhere.
• Search your phone’s app store for apps that offer free services.
• Youtube is a great resource for finding free mindfulness and/or meditation sessions of any length.

Here are some simple yet powerful activities that can cultivate positive mental health experiences:

• Establishing Rituals and Routines
  Rituals and routines provide a sense of predictability and stability for young children, helping them feel safe and secure in their environment. Consider incorporating the following rituals and routines into your daily life:
  • Morning and bedtime routines: Establish consistent rituals for waking up and going to bed, such as reading a bedtime story or sharing highlights from the day.
  • Mealtime rituals: Create special traditions around mealtime, such as setting the table together or sharing a favorite family recipe.
  • Transition rituals: Develop rituals for transitions, such as saying goodbye before leaving for school or welcoming your child home after a day apart. ​Don’t be afraid to be creative and make your own unique rituals as a family.

By consistently practicing these rituals and routines, you can instill a sense of familiarity and connection in your child’s daily life, promoting a feeling of safety and predictability.

• Exploring New Experiences
  While routines provide a sense of security, it’s also important to expose children to new experiences and challenges to support their growth and development. Here are some ways to encourage exploration and curiosity:
  • Visit new places: Take your child on outings to explore new environments, such as parks, museums or community events. There are many opportunities each month to gain free access to many of the popular museums and attractions throughout the Chicagoland area.
  • Try new activities: Encourage your child to try new hobbies or activities that spark their interest, whether it’s painting, dancing or playing a musical instrument.
  • Embrace nature: Spend time outdoors exploring nature together, whether it’s going for a hike, collecting and sorting leaves or playing in the backyard.

By introducing new experiences in a supportive and encouraging environment, you can help your child develop confidence, resilience and a sense of curiosity about the world around them.

• Cultivating Connection
  Building strong connections with caregivers, family members and peers is essential for promoting positive mental health in early childhood. Here are some ways to foster meaningful connections:
  • Quality time: Set aside dedicated time each day to spend one-on-one with your child, engaging in activities they enjoy and showing genuine interest in their thoughts and feelings. Even for the busiest of schedules, dedicating a small amount time together can have a tremendous impact.
  • Family traditions: Create special traditions and rituals that bring your family together, such as movie nights, game nights or weekend outings.
  • Social interactions: Encourage your child to interact with peers through playdates, preschool or community groups, providing opportunities for friendship and social development.