What Your Child's Kindergarten Teacher Wants You to Know Before School Starts

Children in kindergarten need to have a lot more autonomy than they did in preschool. Some things you can do:

• Make sure they can open all of their own lunch containers themselves and stick a straw in a juice box.
• Teach them how to blow their own nose, wash their own hands thoroughly, and cough and sneeze into their elbow to prevent the spread of germs.
• Make sure your child can use the bathroom on their own and isn't afraid to go alone — also, teach bathroom etiquette like washing hands and flushing toilets.
• Teach them how to put on their own coat and tie their shoes.