Making Your Preschool or KinderDance Experience Go... Dancingly Well We all know how hard it is when our precious little ones venture off on their own without us. That is why I have put together this “How To Manual” for Preschool Parents. These little girls are now Baby Ballerinas and are entering the wonderful world of dance! We all envision these little cherubs in their pretty little dance skirts, hair in a bun, prancing on tippy toe in their pretty pink slippers. (Insert loud screech & a scream!) While that may be the reality for most children, it is not the reality for all. It is important for teacher & parent to realize this is often a first activity for 3 & 4 year olds. Separation can be very stressful for both parent and child. As moms & teachers ourselves, we have seen what tends to work & what doesn’t in conquering that anxiety. Here are some suggestions if your child doesn’t float as easily into the classroom as you had envisioned! Trust your teachers Occassionally a child may get nervous about separating from Mom & Dad, that's natural. If your child sees that you trust us it will make them more confident! Please Don’t Hover At The Window This is so important the first few weeks. We are all anxious to see our children try something new, however, parents crowding around the window is very distracting & takes the child’s mind off the fun in the classroom. When a parent is out of view the child finds comfort in her teacher & peers. You will be so proud of the independence and self confidence your child gains! Give Us Time With Your Child Our teachers and assistants are great at working with children and realize when it is time to call mom or dad in for the rescue. If we feel that a child is really stressed from the separation we will invite you to join us. But please try to give us time with her ~ even if she watches from the bench happily, we are building trust! If after several weeks she is not ready to separate we suggest waiting another year before starting dance. We want all of our students excited and enthusiastic when entering the classroom and ready to participate independently. 4. Show excitement Children love when their parents are excited over what they have accomplished. Focus on what your child loved about class ~ the ribbons, the scarves, a certain game, dance step or song! Remind them during the week about that activity. At the beginning of the year we will focus on a certain prop or dance for a few weeks for them to build confidence. Sticker Time & Student of The Day Remind your child that soon they will be "Student Of The Day" and will get to wear the pretty ballerina dress. Student of the Day gets to go 1st the entire day & also gets to be line leader. This is an excellent opportunity for our Preschoolers to be a role model to their fellow students! All wonderful ballerinas will be rewarded at the end of class with a special sticker! If after a few weeks your child hasn’t adjusted, we will suggest waiting until summer to try again. When this has been suggested in the past we generally see that student come back & excel the following year. Again, we want every child to enjoy their experience. As much as we want every child to participate, we have to also be fair to the rest of the children who are enjoying dance class. We don’t want the assistant to have to take too much time from her other teaching responsibilities. Please see your instructor if you have any questions or concerns about your child! We are eager to work with your children! Thank you for sharing them with us! ~ Miss Jennifer |
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