Any tips and advise for preparation before 1st day of pre-school? How to get my child mentally prepared? Should I accompany my child for a couple of days for an hour or so to observe the other children in the playgroup? And also she can get acquainted with the environment before the first day. Some childcare allow 1 full day where mummy can stay with child in the center but I m afraid the child may assume that the mum should be around all e time in the playgroup this might not be good to train her independence.

If you have a lot of time before that, let your child be involved with the preparation for school! Shopping together, letting him/her choose the things for school ... Having more fun together before going to school too :) You can also do simple schedules or just verbal reminders of what school will be like, and what he/she can expect from school. As for accompanying your child, I do what Jorelle did - my son's childcare actually allows parents to stay with them the first 3 days, but I only stayed with my son the first day. It was mainly to observe the classes and the teachers, and also to have a "mental presence" there that this is what his mother looks like :) First day, I accompanied my son and he was really clingy and did not take part in anything. He still ate well but we left before nap time because he just couldn't settle down well! Second day, I was prepared to do the same but the principal told me to leave him to the teachers to build a rapport and for me to take breakfast. I left my son crying, and I cried on my way to breakfast too - I expected a call to pick him up because I didn't think he would be able to sleep there, but the principal updated me with photos of his activities and he actually took a nap! Fast forward, he took about 2-3 weeks to get used to school - it's been 2 months now and he loves school!