Back-To-School Guide for Preschoolers (3-year-olds)

Having worked as an Assistant Director at a Child Development Center for several years, and having a soon to be 3-year-old going to Preschool this Fall, I know how exciting and fun Preschool can be, especially for 3-year-olds!

As a parent, you've probably already received a ton of information from the Childcare center, your child's teacher, and maybe a handful of other articles to help you and your child prepare for the first day. This can be a lot of information to wade through, and sometimes it's hard to determine which items truly are more important than others.

The following are a few things, from an administrator's perspective, that the teachers and the office staff sincerely wished every parent of a 3-year-old knew before arriving on the first day.

Potty Training

If your 3-year-old is already completely potty trained congratulations! Potty training, as you know, is indeed a job for both your child and you.

Some centers require that children in their 3-year-old class already be potty trained. Others are willing to work with your child. It is important to make sure you understand the center's policy about potty training.

While accidents are completely normal and sure to happen from time to time, a child who has multiple daily accidents is not potty trained.

One of the absolute worst things a parent can do is lie about whether or not a child is potty trained. The reason should be obvious, as I can absolutely guarantee your child's teacher will know the truth in less than 2 days, if not one.

Most all daycare centers follow ratio policies which define the number of children per adult childcare provider. What many parents do not realize is the ratio in a 2-year-old class is typically lower than the ratio in a 3-year-old class mainly because it takes additional hands to help change diapers and take little people back and forth to the bathroom.

If the class requires children to be potty-trained, parents should understand that the teacher is expecting your child to already be potty-trained. If parents are dishonest just because they need childcare, this could potentially have very negative effects on the child.

In a room filled with children who are all potty-trained, one child who is not trained stands apart from the other children and is likely to be picked on or laughed at despite a teacher's best efforts to control this with discipline or time-out. Realistically, a teacher does not hear every single comment that is made in the classroom and even 3-year-olds are smart enough to whisper.

While it may be true that teachers cannot punish verbally or otherwise for toileting accidents, it has been my experience that teachers are definitely not happy when a child who is "supposedly" potty-trained turns out to be anything but. I have observed this indirectly affect a teacher's behavior toward a child as well as the teacher's behavior toward the child's parents. Teachers are human too and they get frustrated particularly when their jobs are more difficult than necessary.

I feel I honestly speak for the majority of preschool teachers when I say that cleaning up poop definitely qualifies as more difficult than necessary. In addition, I've wiped more than my own fair share of bottoms and I've been called to a classroom on countless occasions to do so for a teacher who needed an extra pair of hands.

Lying about whether your child is potty-trained or not is a surefire way to irritate both your child's teacher and the daycare administration. Some centers have no difficulty at all apologizing and saying your child is not yet ready for their 3-year-old class. Some are more willing to work with your child than others. Before leaving your child on the first day of preschool, be sure you completely understand what the toileting expectations are for your child.

Pull-Ups (with side tabs)

If your Preschool or Child Development Center will be working on potty training with your child, or if your child still occasionally has accidents during nap, then you'll probably be asked to supply Pull-Ups.

Teachers and staff cannot tell parents which brand of Pull-Ups to buy, however let me make one strongly advisable suggestion. I highly, highly, highly recommend a brand of Pull-ups with side tabs.

In my experience with our state's daycare licensing standards, a 3-year-old classroom cannot have any sort of diaper changing area or station. Another way to look at this means there should be no reason for a 3-year-old child to physically be lying down in the floor to be changed by a staff member.

If a child has a messy toileting accident, it is so much easier and faster to clean the child and address his or her needs if the child is wearing a Pull-up with the side tabs.

Pull-ups with the side tabs are designed to come off just like a diaper. A busy and skilled teacher can typically change the Pull-up and put on a new one without getting the child's clothes messy and often without having to take off a child's socks, shoes, and pants too.

Back to School Clothes Shopping

If you'll be shopping for new school clothes, consider clothes that your child can easily take on and off by him or herself.

While overalls and one-piece outfits might be cute, your 3-year-old will be going potty solo at preschool so these items are not very practical.

If I could make just one firm suggestion to parents regarding clothing it would be absolutely no snaps between the crotch area. This includes no onesies and no articles of clothing in which the only way to go to the bathroom is to unsnap the snaps or any type of closure located between the legs.

Many teachers today assist children in the bathroom as little as possible, or only on an as needed basis. Very few teachers are willing to snap snaps in the crotch area of a child's clothing at the age of 3 out of fear that rendering their assistance could even remotely be deemed inappropriate.

Pants and shorts with elastic waists are excellent choices. Sometimes even zippers on pants can be difficult for children to manuever on their own.

If you can, take your child with you shopping and have your child try on the clothes as he or she would if getting ready to go to preschool. If you have to help you child get dressed in the store, then that's not a good outfit for preschool.

Extra Clothes

Whether it's a toileting accident, a messy art project or spaghetti and meatballs for lunch, your child will need extra clothes at some point. Definitely send extra clothes!

When deciding what extra clothes your child will need, in addition to appropriate seasonal items, it's a good idea to send at least the following:

2 pair of underwear

2 complete outfits

2 pair of socks

1 pair of shoes

Please, please, please send underwear. It'll happen at some point even if you think not to your child. It's better to be safe than sorry.

When selecting outfits, don't send your child's Sunday best. Worn play clothes are fine. If you'd rather not send anything great, then purchase a couple outfits from a second hand store or a consignment store. That way you won't miss seeing the outfits in your child's closet.

I literally cringe when I think about the children I've seen walking around the rest of an entire day in urine smelling socks and shoes because a parent didn't think to send these items or couldn't leave work to bring them to the classroom.

I'm not suggesting every parent go out and buy a designer pair of shoes. However, an inexpensive pair of sandals, clogs, or tennis shoes can easily be bought at a store like Maxway, Family Dollar, or Dollar General for under $5.

You wouldn't want to walk around all day in wet smelly socks and shoes. Your child shouldn't have to either.

Also, consistently check the extra clothes your child has on hand in the classroom. If your child uses the extra clothes, be diligent and replace them the next day.
Always remember that the day you forget will be the day your child needs them. I assure you it happens every time!

This Belongs To

Label your child's clothing, book bag, and anything else your child takes to preschool. While the regular teacher will quickly learn what belongs to whom, children occasionally have identical belongings and there will occasionally be substitutes.

Special Toys Stay at Home

Unless it's Show and Tell, special toys should stay at home. Of all the classroom rules, teachers generally sincerely mean this one. Teachers are not responsible if special toys get broken, disappear, or cause your child to get in a fight with another child.

There are plenty of toys to play with at preschool and plenty of activities already planned to keep your child busy and entertained. Special toys cause problems, are distractions for the children, and irritations to the teachers.

Leave special toys at home.

Turn Off Your Phone

Whether you're dropping a child off or picking a child up at preschool, turn off your phone. Your child loves you and going to preschool means your child is going to be away from you all day. For some children, this makes them nervous or a bit anxious.

The most important thing you can do is make sure your child knows you love him or her at the beginning of the day, before you leave for work. Dropping your child off should not just be a task you have to do each morning. Your undivided attention for these few precious minutes is critically important to setting the stage for the kind of day your child is going to have at preschool without you.

Likewise, it is equally important to devote your undivided attention to your child when picking him or her up from preschool. Your child hasn't seen you all day and is bound to want to tell you all about what you missed.

What conversation could possibly be more important than that?

Unless you're a Secret Security agent and the President of the United States demands your immediate attention to resolve an important matter of Top Secret National Security, there's simply no excuse. Hang up the phone and talk to your child.

It's Nice to Share

There's a saying that says preschool teachers enjoy "cute little kids" and a "cute little paycheck." While very cute, this is also very true.

More often than not, preschool teachers do not have all the resources available for their classrooms that they may really like to have and sometimes even need to have. A great way to teach your child how nice it is to share is to share with your child's classroom.

There is not a teacher I know who turns down parents willing to share books. Since there is usually a parent who either forgets to send items from time to time or who possibly cannot afford them, don't be afraid to send extras or ask your child's teacher if you can donate something to the class that might be helpful.

Possible items to ask about donating include extra underwear, socks, clothes, inexpensive slip on shoes, or even an extra pack of Pull-Ups. Preschool teachers generally keep a supply of extra emergency items on hand and particularly as the year goes on extras begin to dwindle.

Some parents whose children need to borrow items are great at always returning these items freshly laundered. However, there have been more than a few occasions where I or another teacher might notice that a child who borrowed an item consistently keeps wearing that item. Whether it's a pair of shoes, pants, or a coat it might just be that your child's hand-me-downs can sincerely help out another child's family.

Though a lot of parents never realize it, preschool teachers really do love working with children, and they often share with a child who needs something without a second thought of ever mentioning it to another living breathing soul.

Good Luck

As you and your 3-year-old prepare for preschool, I hope you found something of value here that maybe you hadn't previously considered.

I wish you both the best of luck for a great year!