Kindergarten brings new adventures and opportunities...and uncertainty. Having a growth mindset - the belief that you can tackle challenges with practice and hard work - helps. During this transition, remind parents and children that they are capable of doing hard things, and that practice makes progress.

Here are a few tips to offer parents:

1. Practice an early bedtime: Help families to support a consistent bedtime (time of day and routine) several weeks before school starts. Getting enough sleep is essential to learning! 
2. Visit the new school: If possible, families can practice walking to the new school, seeing the building, and getting familiar with the new surroundings.
3. Read books: Families can also read books about going to kindergarten and have the chance to talk through what to expect. Books can help children to visualize new experiences and role play new scenarios like kindergarten.
4. Stay positive: Even though new transitions can scare parents and children, help parents to focus on the excitement of learning new things and making friends, rather than expressing their own worries in front of the child.

For more support, refer families to our Sparks series here.