Preschool: How to help your child navigate a brave new world

"Pre-school asks a lot of children, says Teresa Heeney, CEO of Early Childhood Ireland. “It’s a very significant transition that involves adjusting to a new physical environment, different routines, new children, and new group dynamics."

Children starting pre-school will have to make friends and learn to trust their teacher, an adult who is not a guardian.

Pre-school is a major transition for children. 

“It’s the first significant, consistent separation from the familiar environment out into the wider world and into a structured setting,” says Dolores Wrafter, who leads the Parents First service in Laois/Offaly, which provides support for parents from pregnancy to when their child is three years old.