There are so many things, as parents, we want our kids to know before they start school. I’ve stressed over whether or not AH knows her colors, letters, numbers, etc.

But now, being a teacher, I have a new perspective.

So I’ve come up with a list of things I want AH to know before she starts kindergarten.

Top 5 Things to teach your child before starting kindergarten:

5. Boogers are not an afternoon snack. Or breakfast. Or any other time of day snack. For the most part AH doesn’t but I have caught her on occasion taste testing. (Gag.)

4. Wash your hands…don’t wipe them on your clothes. This is obvious in terms of keeping germ spreading to a minimum. But what I didn’t think of, as a parent, is how much gets on kids’ hands while at school. Paint, glue, markers, etc. All can get on clothes and ruin them if hands are wiped instead of washed.

3. Private parts are private. This is self explanatory. However, if your kid is like mine and prefers to hang out in his/her undies all day, you might want to ensure your child knows that home is the only place they can lounge like that.

2. How to tie their own shoes. If I had a quarter for every time I tied shoelaces during day, I might double my salary. This is going to be a challenge for AH. Mainly because most of her shoes don’t even have laces.

And the number one thing to teach your child before they go to kindergarten…
*drum roll*

1. Bathroom Do’s & Don’ts - For instance: Don’t potty anywhere but the toilet (aka don’t write your name on the wall with urine). Do pull your pants up before exiting the bathroom (see number 3). And Do wipe yourself. If you don’t teach your child to take care of this on their own, trust me, they will ask teacher to do it for them. And when the teacher kindly declines, they may even ask to call you to come do it for them. True story.

_________________________

Brought to you by the letter F in the AtoZ Challenge.