Do you remember your prep teacher? To a prep child, the teacher is such a powerful image in their mind. Parents often bemoan the fact that the prep teacher seems to be first in the mind of the child before the parents!

What this means is that the teacher will have a most impressive impact on the life of the child for that first year. This is why the child needs to hear and see that their family equally values the presence of that teacher in the child's life. What I am saying here is that in order for the child to feel secure in that first year, they need the reassurance from their parents that they are in a strong and trusting relationship also with the teacher.

If at any point, you feel some discussion is necessary with the teacher regarding a matter, ensure that the child still feels reassured that everyone is on the same page. When children feel less secure they will often shut down and not talk as much about their school day if the the overall trust between school and home is not strong.

The good news is that prep teachers are chosen for the very specialised ways they handle children's emotions. Prep teachers are wonderful nurturers and passionate early educators, skilled in working closely with young families.