Transition Tips for Parents

Early Childhood Ireland have developed two leaflets entitled Going to Preschool Leaflet and Going to Primary School Leaflet designed specifically to support parents as they prepare their child for starting pre-school or primary school.

Going to Pre-School

Change is the only constant in life and learning to manage change successfully begins in early childhood. From a very young age children are required to make transitions; from cot to bed, from liquid to solid food, from crawling to walking.

Each of these changes and transitions can cause uncertainty, moments when your child moves from the security of the home routine and the people he/she knows to the unknown ways of a new environment and many new faces. Naturally, change provides an emotional challenge for the child, ‘who will mind me when Daddy/Mammy is gone’, ‘where do I fit in here?’

As parents and childcare professionals we have a key role to play in helping young children develop positive attitudes to change and this leaflet is designed to support all concerned on those first steps to pre-school.

Early Childhood Ireland have developed a leaflet entitled “Going to Pre-school” designed specifically to support parents as they prepare their child for starting pre-school.

Click to download: Going to Preschool Leaflet

Going to Big School

Every year thousands of children move from pre-school to primary school.  Pre-school starts preparing children for the “Big School” transition from early on.  Many children find starting “Big School” exciting and have little trouble with the changes that it brings, while others can find this time stressful.  It’s a time of great excitement and new beginnings for the child and their parents, saying goodbye to pre-school, meeting new teachers and making new friends.

For children the primary school buildings are bigger with more rooms, more children, more adults and more rules.  Those first days at school can be an anxious time for parents who wonder, will she manage on her own, will he make friends, will he be able to sit and listen, will she be able for the school yard.  Often it’s the parent who gets a bit overwhelmed and has to hold back the tears as their child takes this next step on life’s journey.

It is designed specifically to support parents as they prepare their child for the transition from preschool to primary school.

Click to download: Going to Primary School Leaflet