First-Day Jitters: Getting Kids Excited to Start Preschool

Find Ways to Make Him Comfortable

Learn his classmates' names. If you can say to your child, "Look, Daniel is playing in the block corner already," when you arrive in the morning, it will make school seem more familiar and safe.

Play the day away. Seeing familiar faces in his class will up your child's comfort level. You'll get a class list during the summer, "so plan playdates with some other classmates before the big day," says Amy Flynn, director of the Bank Street Family Center at the Bank Street College of Education in New York City, which trains teachers from around the country. "Also, ask about setting up a buddy system; you and another class family have each other as contacts for playdates and support before school begins."

Send a reminder of home. One way to do it: Put a snapshot of your family in a photo key chain attached to your child's backpack. "I gave my son Sam a smooth, polished rock that he could keep in his pocket and rub whenever he felt anxious," says Renee Sprengeler, of Lincoln, Nebraska.