Newbie to Preschool

[PMJ]

1) Anything you wish another parent might have told you before starting PS?

2) What items to label?

3) Is it necessary to buy labels through a professional company (i.e. those mentioned in another thread)?

Feel free to share anything else... I'm starting to get those sleepless nights of leaving my baby in someone else's care. :(

thanks

[KrisM]

I bought labels because I wanted to be able to peel them off for resale later. Others use Sharpie and it works just fine :).

I label: hats, mittens, shoes, boots, back pack, coats. I send an extra set of clothes in a ziplock in the backpack.

[crl]

I buy labels because I want my cell number on there as well as a name and I can't fit all that on most tags using a sharpie. I labeled older ds' stuff with his last name so I could hand down. Dd is our last so I am using her first.

Catherine

[wellyes]

Are we talking 'traditional' preschool, a few hours a day a few days a week?
Or a more full time daycare/preschool?

I've done both, and my advice is a little different for each!

[PMJ]

Are we talking 'traditional' preschool, a few hours a day a few days a week?
Or a more full time daycare/preschool?

I've done both, and my advice is a little different for each!

Part time, few days a week.

Stupid ques, but I guess last names on items is ok? I always thought for safety, better to just do initials (I guess that is more on backpacks which many people can see).

[KrisM]

Part time, few days a week.

Stupid ques, but I guess last names on items is ok? I always thought for safety, better to just do initials (I guess that is more on backpacks which many people can see).

My kids would not have recognized their initials starting preschool. They did all recognize their names. And if they can't do either, I think it's much faster on the teachers sorting a pile of shoes if there are names in it. The teachers are going to know their names anyway, so putting them on things just makes it easier for them. Plus, if you forget a jacket and there are mulitple J.H. kids across their classes, it'll take longer to get it back to you.

[wellyes]

1.
- Get a backpack big enough to hold a standard size folder.
- When the kid gets out of school, ask what happened and if she had fun... but if she seems quiet, hold off and chat about whatever. Give her a little time to transition back to family time.
- Write down the little cute things from every day, you'll be amazed how much your child will change in this year.
- Get a lamination machine (cheap one!) to save the most precious projects and photos
- Volunteer to be a room mom one day early on if you can, you learn a LOT that way.
- The preschool will be extremely grateful for little gifts like paper towels, tissues, art supplies, etc so stock up!!


2. We never actually labelled anything, the class was just 14 kids. Check the requirements from the parent's handbook!

3. When I have labeled things in the past, I used a sharpie or a piece of masking tape. I've never paid for a label. I use first name only, but I've seen initials and also last name only.

[crl]

When the labels are hidden I don't think it poses any safety risk and I think it could help if the child gets lost at some point (whether on a school field trip or a family outing or jsut wanders out the front door). That's actually why I always include my cell number, not because I thnk it will help me get stuff back, but because I like having my phone number on my child.

Some schools are picky about labeling and others aren't so I would check with the school to find out whether they have any rules.

Building on what well eyes said, I found ds answered questions better if I asked the same things over and over. I usually asked what they had for lunch, who he sat next to and who he played with outside. Those questions seemed to prompt him to tell me a bit about his day.

Catherine

[KrisM]

2. We never actually labelled anything, the class was just 14 kids. Check the requirements from the parent's handbook!


DD's class had only 7 girls (and 8 boys), but 3 of them had the same winter boots and 2 had the same sneakers. So, a small class doesn't ensure things won't get mixed up!

[SnuggleBuggles]

I only label with last name, in case of hand me downs. People covered the label bit so I'll skip it. But, my advice is to be social with the families. If there is a car line, skip it sometimes and go in to chat. Hopefully you'll get a phone/ email list and you can set up playdates. You'll see this these families for years to come at extracurricular activities. I'm still friends with a few from that first year.