The first days at preschool can be unsettling to many preschoolers and to some of their parents as well. Some children become anxious about how to cope all at once with the new adults, groups of strange children, and unfamiliar surroundings. Other children are more upset by the separation from home than by the new experiences. Still others make the transition to the new world with few hesitations. Whatever your youngster's pattern of adjustment turns out to be, the ideas outlined below may help.

To help my 3 year old learn his shapes, I simply cut all his bread food (toast, sandwiches, etc) into shapes. Yes, it takes longer to cut a circle out of a piece of toast, but now he will tell me which shape he wants and he can identify them, too. His friends love this and will often ask to eat a "triangle" when the come to our house. He's learned his shapes without a struggle.