How I'm Helping My Daughter Adjust to Kindergarten

1 Be Her Biggest Advocate

Image Source: Unsplash / Nicole Honeywill

As a former teacher, I have seen the horrors of helicopter parenting. While I make it a point to not be one of those parents, I will still be my daughter's biggest advocate should the need arise.

1 / 8

2 Foster Her Independence

Image Source: Unsplash / Austin Pacheco

My daughter desperately wants to take the bus to school, and that's been a hard "no" from me. But maybe, just maybe, I need to give her the independence that she craves.

2 / 8

3 Prioritise Family Time

Image Source: Unsplash / Le Creuset

Since she'll be gone most of the day, I'm going to make the most of the time we have at home. Sitting down and eating breakfast and dinner together, and letting her help prep our family meals, will give us some much needed quality time.

Mornings can be extra busy or chaotic, so packing her lunch and laying out her school clothes the night before will be the key to ensuring that we can take the time to enjoy each other before she heads off to school.

3 / 8

4 Give Extra One-On-One Time

Image Source: Unsplash / Caroline Hernandez

My husband and I will alternate Saturday mornings with our daughter. One of us will spend the morning giving her some extra one-on-one time while the other stays behind or runs errands with her younger sisters. The rest of the weekend will be spent as a family.

4 / 8

5 Volunteer At School

Image Source: Unsplash / Ben White

Room mom? Cafeteria helper? Sign me up. While my daughter is certainly Little Miss Independent, I feel that volunteering at school whenever I am able is a great way to show her that I'm interested and present.

5 / 8

6 Surprise Her With Mother-Daughter Days

Image Source: Unsplash / Sai De Silva

When I was in elementary school, the main office would buzz into our classroom via the intercom and ask the teacher to send one of my classmates down with their things. I always hoped that it would be my mom there to pick me up from school early. It never was. And while I knew that the kids were likely leaving early for a doctor or dentist appointment, it still would have been exciting to have my name called.

This year, I plan on surprising my daughter at least once with a mid-day mother-daughter date. With Frozen 2 coming out in November, how can I not?

6 / 8

7 Pack Cute and Fun Lunches

Image Source: Flickr user Melissa

Hopefully some artistic bento boxes will give my daughter something to look forward to each day while encourageing her to try a few new foods. Pinterest is loaded with great (and simple!) ideas for fun, creative, and healthy school lunches.

7 / 8

8 Sneak In a Special Treat

Image Source: Unsplash / Dennis Klein

We eat pretty clean in our house, but we also indulge every once in a while. I know that packing an extra special treat, whether it's once a week or once every other week, will be the source of some major excitement.

8 / 8