We just finished our last playdate for the summer.  It was amazing how many families were able to join us and play with us.

My own kids are anxious about things they don’t know. They tend to get overwhelmed by new and unexpected, like most people do. So when I was opening the preschool, one of the things I knew I wanted to do was – making the transition for the new kids as smooth as possible.

I thought about home visits but while they help establish the connection with the teacher, they don’t really help the kid be comfortable in the new environment. I thought about one-on-one preschool visits but it does not expose the child to her future classmates. So in the end I decided to throw couple of family play-dates in the summer.

The playdates get big, loud, crazy and super fun. The kids bring their siblings, their parents, even grandparents sometimes. They build towers together, paint together, pet our tortoise… they ask all the questions they want to and they see their new friends. Parents tend to make friends as well and nothing makes me happier than seeing parents exchanging phone numbers, making sure their kids (that have never seen each other before) can have a private playdate before the school starts.

It just makes it easier for the kids, less stressful for the parents and honestly, easier for me as well. It’s awesome starting the school year and already knowing a bit about the kids.  I cannot even imagine my September without it anymore.