While some children are excited to start kindergarten, others are nervous and don’t want to change the routine. It’s important for parents to know how to calm their little ones’ nerves and make them look forward to school instead of refusing to leave the comfort of home.

It’s also perfectly normal for your child to feel increasingly uncomfortable as the school days get closer. However, it is best to start addressing this situation early on so that when the school days begin, your child will be better prepared to handle the new environment without fear. The kindergarten experience is important to any child’s growth and later education, and therefore it is important to make this experience fun and rewarding rather than frightening.

Read on for four things you can start to do to help your child accept a change of environment and prepare for the first day of school.

Let them interact with the outside environment

Although kindergarten is the official beginning of a child’s life outside the home, the most effective means of learning to interact with the outside world remains through informal social communication. It is the parents’ job to take advantage of summer vacations and take children to commercial playgrounds or playgrounds to interact and socialize with other children their own age. If the child is already familiar with meeting new people and has enough social skills, kindergarten would not be so scary.

Take them to visit their future school

A casual tour of the school building will increase a child’s familiarity with the classrooms, playground equipment, cafeteria, and restrooms and won’t be as daunting as seeing the building on the first day and being alone. Show them the interesting places around the school and instill in them the excitement of being able to play and learn in the new school. Paintings and colorful classrooms are ways to make the school experience more interesting for children, and by showing them around beforehand, you can make it more exciting and less scary for your little ones.

Teach the basics at home

Sometimes children are not only afraid of a new environment, but also of falling short as a student. Help them overcome this fear by teaching them alphabets, numbers, and other basics at home before they start school. They do not have to excel at them but it will make it easier for them to recognize their studies and learn faster in school. It will also increase their confidence when they come across something in class that they are already familiar with.

keep it light

Don’t give your children the impression that kindergarten is something they have to do and they have no say in the matter. Instead, cultivate a sense of adventure and excitement and gradually prepare your little ones for the worthwhile experiences ahead. As you train them about kindergarten, focus as much on friendships and play as studies and intelligence. Introduce them to new topics and show them how they will learn more about their favorite activities and topics at school among friends.