Preparing the kids to being split up at school?

Discussion in 'The Toddler Years(1-3)' started by Fran27, Aug 28, 2012.

  1. Fran27

    Fran27 Well-Known Member

    It will be the 3rd year in my kids' school. They went 2 mornings the first year, then 3 mornings last year, in the same class (same teacher both years). This year they're getting new teachers, and going 5 mornings and 3 afternoons. They'll be together in the afternoon (and lunch) but split in the morning.

    It starts on the 10th. Any tip of how to get them used to the idea of being split up? DD is asking every day if it's school, I say not yet, they still think of last year's teacher as their teacher. They've always been together for everything except a few errands here and there. I usually try not to tell them what's happening ahead of time or they ask every 5 minutes/hour/day if it's time yet and get mad when I say no... (we've tried the calendar thing and they don't really get it).

    Other dumb question... how do I drop them off? Which one first? The rooms are next to each other, but still...
     
  2. Twin nanny

    Twin nanny Well-Known Member

    I don't know how much you can prepare them without talking about it in advance. :unknw: I guess if they're going to drive you insane with questions and if you think they can cope with having only very little warning then just explain it to them the day before. If you think they'll freak out when they hear that it'll be new teachers & rooms, more days and separate classes then you might have to tell them a bit further in advance, say 5-7 days, to give them the time to adjust to the idea and deal with the constant questions.
    Whatever point you decide to tell them at I would just keep the explanation simple and very matter of fact. My twins all went into separate classes at the age yours are (although it was the start of them going to school, before that they'd only been to church hall based nursery/daycare so it was quite a clear distinction for them). We talked about it a lot before, basically whenever the subject of school came up over the summer I'd remind them how they would be in their own classrooms but would see each other for lunch and playtime. I always spoke of it in a 'that's how school works' factual kind of way, I'm sure they didn't even know that being together could have been an option. In your case I would probably take the line of 'now that you're big you get to go to school every day and have your own classes'. Make it seem like an inevitable (good) part of getting older. "Now that you are four and a half you are too big for Miss so-and-so's class, she looks after the little children. You're getting so clever that you can go in the big children class and learn lots of new things. Elizabeth, you will be in this class with Mrs X and Christopher, you will be in that class with Miss Y." Basically just try to keep it simple and put it all in a positive light, talk up how exciting it will be to have their own classes and get to eat lunch at school.

    As for dropping them off I'd just pick a way and go with that-drop whoever is closest to the door you walk in through first. If it starts to matter to them who gets to go into class first then just alternate days. I always just took both to whichever classroom was first and the one whose classroom it wasn't waited while I went through the drop-off routine with their twin, then they said goodbye to each other and I took the second twin to their classroom and did the drop-off routine with them.
     
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