Note: this is a guest post from an actual, real life and real awesome preschool teacher.
You may be experiencing preschool for the first time as the new school year starts, or you’re on your third kid in preschool so you’ve got the school system down pat.
Regardless, the preschool teachers who you leave your children with day in and day out… who you trust with your most precious children to love, play with, teach, feed, care and keep your children safe while you’re at work, will unquestionably play an integral role in your child’s development and their all-around academic, emotional and social growth.
Teachers work hard all day long to make sure each children’s needs are met. And being in charge of other’s children is not a responsibility they take likely, and statistically they’re all underpaid, which means they do it because they love it and they love your children.
Through the eyes of a preschool teacher, here are seven things that your child’s teacher wants you to know.
WE LOVE YOUR CHILDREN BUT WE’RE NOT TRYING TO REPLACE YOU
We build loving relationships with your children and care for them like our own, but we could never replace you. Please don’t see our attachement to your children, and the relationships we build with them, as a threat to the parent-child relationships you have already built. That bond is unbreakable! We are underpaid, understaffed, and overworked. Trust me, we’re there for your kids.
PLEASE, KEEP YOUR SICK CHILD AT HOME
Maybe its the fact that work needs you, you still need a break of your own or you figure your child can muscle their way through a sick day at school. We get it, but bringing your sick child to school doesn’t make them feel any better, often times it makes it worse. If you could only see your child struggling and miserable at school, you might rethink your decision about sending her to school.
They need YOU, they only want Mom and Dad to help take care of them when they’re sick.
They don’t need to pass around the germs to friends and to us. And trust us, we cannot be fooled by Tylenol, we’ll just call you when it wears off anyways.
TEACHER APPRECIATION GOES A LONG WAY
A small thank you card, coffee, or just a gracious conversation about how we, as caregivers, are appreciated makes our day, maybe even our week! We work HARD and it feels fantastic to have some recognition for it.
WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW YOU BETTER
Asking your child’s teacher about their day, their life, and showing interest, means a lot and goes a long way. We want you to know us as much as we want to know you. We’re with your children all day long and feel like we know you already but we want you to know that we have similar interests, have children of our own, and go through the same issues as you do. We’re more than just Teachers.
ONLY SO MANY BEHAVIORS CAN BE REDIRECTED
We might have a child we work with one-on-one each day and ask for the guidance to be continued at home. This isn’t to benefit us, its to benefit your children and simply to help them whether it’s emotionally, with behavior or with a specific learning style.
We really want to help your children through whatever they are dealing with and having the consistency at school and home is imperative. Please take our suggestions and advice to heart, it comes from a good place.
YOUR CHILDREN NOTICE EVERYTHING
Your children are brutally honest and share every detail of your home life when they’re at school. They soak up the adult conversations their parents don’t think they hear and repeat them. We hear the good, the bad, the funny, and the inappropriate.
Children use curse words without understanding the meaning, words their daddy used to describe mommy during an argument, funny phrases, and replicate your not-so-pleasant road rage incident.
YOU’RE DOING A GREAT JOB
Even though we might have discussions about your child’s behavior or are working to redirect a behavior, we are still impressed by you as a parent. You’re the most significant role model for you children and are doing an incredible job. Keep up the good work Mom and Dad.
Parenting is hard, with its challenging and highs and lows, and you’re doing great!
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