Pre-school preparation for 2.5 yr old

[sobermum23]

Hello!

just wondered if anyone would recommend any ways I can prepare my son for pre school in Sept - 3 mornings a week. Only ever been looked after by me, DH and my mum.

I don’t think he will be potty trained by then as much as I would like that to be the case 1 doesn’t seem ready yet. We get out loads, he’s starting to interact with other kids with a confidence I wish I had. Just wondering if there is anything I can do to prepare him - have bought a couple of books and talk about pre school, point it out when we walk past etc

thank you 😊

If he is over two don't wait till he is "ready" for toilet training. It's only July and you don't think he'll be ready by September? This is how children end up at school in nappies.

Do it now, but bear in mind it's not an as and when thing, take his nappy off and have a potty nearby. Assume a few days not leaving the house/garden, giving him lots to drink and watching like a hawk, when he starts to squirm have the potty to hand. never known it not to work.

I work in this area and often a parent tells us a child is toilet trained in that they know when they need to go, but that's all they do, they tell us it's coming. That's the only part that's instinctive, there are many other elements that the parent can work on and need to be taught. Pulling down pants and underpants, sitting onto the seat without help, pulling and breaking off toilet roll, wiping, putting toilet roll in the toilet, getting off the seats, pulling up underwear and pants, flushing the toilet, turning the tap on, applying soap, washing hands, turning off the tap, drying hands. That's a lot of skills to learn so you can be working on those while training. Generally self care and independence skills are the most valued. Most children who start with me (at 3) learn in week one how to put their shoes and coats on and off. Some can do zips but I wouldn't expect that til at least 4, often later. Also being able to wipe their own nose and throw the tissue in the bin. Most kids will try to hand the tissue to an adult even if they can reach the bin. Coughing and sneezing into the elbow not the hand is another one you can work on. There are lots of things like social skills that are harder to work on as a parent because obviously they involve other kids. It's really good that you are thinking this way, that fact alone suggests you will have him prepared.