7 signs

Kinder Roundup just happened and most moms having to enroll their first baby may understandably be freaking out a bit.  Kindergarten already? But he’s my baby! Or is that just me?

I will try not to cry on the first day. I did cry in my car when I dropped my baby off for his first day of preschool after watching him cry for me not to leave him. I’m hoping he doesn’t have that reaction in September.  I’m pretty sure he won’t, though.  He has told me over and over that he can’t wait to start going to school with the big kids.  He is ready!

How do you know if your child is ready?  Here are seven ways to tell straight from a couple of fabulous teachers’ mouths.*

Here are signs that a child is ready for school:

1.  Child can take care of his own needs.

This means that they are able to use the bathroom on their own, wash their hands correctly, open their own lunchbox and snack bags or fruit, put on their own shoes, and so on, independently without teacher assistance.

2.  Child is able to sit at circle time and engage in activities without disturbing others.

Toddlers are active creatures by nature. Sitting still is hard!  But when your little one is engaged in the activity, this won’t be a big deal. I remember going to story time at a library when mine were babies and having little ones running all over the place.  It was hard to hear the reader and it became more about teaching my own kids to stay seated. Jump forward to PreK today and I love watching the class sit at circle time to “read” a story. They are so good with the teachers and completely focused on the story. It makes my heart happy.

3.  Child can make transition from home to school well.

Like I mentioned before, when my kids started going to school just twice a week and for half a day, they were not very happy with me. They cried as soon as we walked in and I could even hear them as I left the building (very loud cryers). Now, they run in and barely even say goodbye. My oldest even comforted my little one when it was his turn to start school. He has been loving school for a long time now. They both even said they were glad school started again after Spring Break. (Tear falling from my own eye.)

4.  Child works with increased independence on school related tasks.

Following teacher’s instructions is key to having a successful school day. If your child remains enthusiastic about the activities presented to them in class and even recreated at home, he’s ready!

5.  Child can work out social problems with little assistance.  Functions well in a group.

Kids fight.  There is no way around that. If your child finds a way to resolve an issue on their own then they are mature enough for school.  And kudos to you for teaching them how, because you know you did that, right?

If only they were that patient with each other at home. That’s to be expected with siblings, though, and is a whole other post!

6.  Child can pick alphabet letters by sight and knows most of the alphabet sounds.  May be starting to sound out words/recognize sight words (a, the, me…)

This question is even on the packet you have to fill out for Kindergarten, so you know it is important!  I think it’s so fun to watch their little minds work on figuring it out words. Mine play a game where they sit and write letters (or scribble as is the case with my little one), but as they do they sound out a word.  They may not write the actual word, but the fact that they are trying and this is a fun activity every day makes a mama proud. I hope they always love to write!

7.  Child is eager to learn and enjoys school most of the time.

School is fun! It really is at this age! If they can’t stop talking about it, love their teachers and their friends, they are ready.

You have done everything you can to prepare them. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

reach the top
Climb on, sweet love!

Now, how do we prepare ourselves so our sweet babies are free to become independent people? 

*Thank you Ms.K & Ms. L for helping me with this post! We Luv You! 

Malu Talan
Hola! I am Malu. I am a UT graduated bilingual mama raising two energetic boys who love with ALL of their heart. They are my greatest teachers and they make me try to be a better person even when I am not ready. I have been married to the love of my life since 2006 and can’t wait for FOREVER more. He is my rock, my sanity and makes me feel beautiful even in my worst days. I run the Family Events Calendar for AMB and have been part of this amazing team since 2014. I love how AMB lets mamas from all over Austin share their vision, their humor, their frustrations and whatever other stories they like to tell in this platform. It is a much needed safe space for mamas navigating this wild ride we are on. When I am not being mama or finding family events, my side hustles include searching for fun ways to help my boys love languages, writing silly picture books, running my own Rodan and Fields biz, helping out at their school when I can and getting my kids excited about it all!!

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