As a parent, one of the most exciting milestones that you will watch your children achieve is going to school for the first time. Whether it is preschool, pre-K, or first grade, it is always exciting to watch your little one still into the classroom with their adorable outfit and chubby fingers clenched tightly around their lunchbox. You are so excited for all of the educational opportunities and lessons that will be provided for your child in the classroom. But, there are a few things that as a parent, you should teach your children before they even start school.
Yes, they will learn the basics such as stop, drop and roll. They will begin to understand social cues and develop friendships. But before that, there are important things that they need to know. For example, before your child starts school, it is important that they know your first and last name and your phone number by heart. Kids sometimes assume that your name is just “mommy” or “daddy” but if there ever comes a time where they have been hurt and need to provide information to contact you, knowing your name and your number is very important.
Kids should also be taught that while to be cautious of strangers, that if they are in trouble, it is ok to go ask an adult for help. God forbid your child is kidnapped and is brought into a public area with other people around, they may be too afraid to ask for help from any other person because they were taught to never speak to strangers.
Another thing that is pretty important is to teach your children that while it is ok for them to hug and kiss and touch their family members, that it is not the same at school. Hugging your friends is ok, but going up to everyone and kissing them on the cheek may be a little strange. This will also teach them to identify wanted and unwanted touch.