Pre-K 3 Checklist: What Parents Should Know Before the First Day

Sending your child to Pre-K 3 is a big milestone—not just for your child, but for parents too.

If you’re preparing to send your child to preschool, this Pre-K 3 checklist covers important questions to ask and things to prepare before the first day.

After going through the enrollment process, attending orientation, and finally sending my 3-year-old to his first day of school, I wanted to share some things I learned along the way.

Every town and school is different, but here are some important things I recommend checking before choosing and preparing for a Pre-K program.

1. Understand Your School Schedule

For our town’s Pre-K program, the schedule is:

• Drop-off: 8:15 AM–8:30 AM
• Regular school hours: 8:30 AM–2:30 PM
• Early dismissal: 1:00 PM

Before the first day, make sure you understand the drop-off and pick-up procedures, especially on early dismissal days.

2. Check the Teacher-to-Student Ratio

Our program has approximately a 7.5:1 student-to-teacher ratio.

A smaller ratio can mean that children receive more individual attention, which can be especially important for younger children who are still adjusting to their first school experience.

3. Tour the Daycares That Offer Your Town’s Pre-K Program

One thing I highly recommend is touring the different daycare centers that operate the Pre-K program in your town.

If you have a particular daycare that you really prefer, don’t be afraid to communicate strongly with your town during the enrollment process.

There may be limited availability, and the process can sometimes be more complicated than expected.

Choosing a program is not just about the Pre-K classroom. It is also important to consider the daycare environment and what happens before and after the regular school day.

4. Ask About Before and After Care

For working parents, this can be one of the most important questions.

Before choosing a program, check:

• Is before care available?
• Is after care available?
• What are the hours?
• Are there additional fees?
• Can you purchase lunch through the daycare?
• Is the daycare conveniently located near your home?

These details can make a huge difference in your daily routine.

5. Ask How They Handle Potty Training

If your child is still working on potty training, this is definitely something to discuss before enrolling.

Ask the school or daycare:

• Do teachers assist with potty training?
• How are accidents handled?
• Do you need to provide diapers or extra underwear?
• How often do they remind children to use the bathroom?

Every program may have a different policy.

6. Ask About Nap Time

Some Pre-K 3 programs still include nap or rest time.

If your child normally takes a nap, this can be an important part of adjusting to the new routine.

Ask whether children need to bring their own nap blanket or other sleeping items.

7. Find Out How Teachers Communicate With Parents

Communication with teachers is something I personally think is very important.

Before enrolling, ask how the school communicates with parents.

For example:

• Daily updates
• Photos
• Messages
• Email
• School apps

Seeing updates about your child’s day can be very reassuring, especially during the first few weeks of school.

8. Label Everything!

One of the most important things I learned is to label everything with your child’s full name.

For Pre-K 3, we were asked to prepare items such as:

• Diapers
• Underwear
• Extra clothes
• Wipes
• A folder for completed artwork and school projects
• A backpack large enough to hold the folder
• A nap blanket
• Indoor shoes

And yes—put your child’s name on everything!

Our First Day of Pre-K 3 ❤️

The process of getting my son enrolled in Pre-K 3 wasn’t completely easy.

We had several challenges with our town regarding proof of residency, and there were many moments when the process felt stressful and frustrating.

Because of everything we went through, sending him to school on his first day felt especially emotional.

Yesterday morning, when I finally dropped him off, I kept thinking:

When did my little boy grow up this much?

Of course, the first drop-off wasn’t completely smooth. 😅

He cried and didn’t want to go inside at first, so his teacher gently took him into the classroom.

But his teachers took such good care of him.

Not long after, I received a photo of him smiling.

And honestly?

I couldn’t help but laugh.

From crying at the door to smiling happily in class! 😂

I am still getting used to the idea that my little boy is growing up, but seeing him begin this new chapter makes me incredibly proud.

To all the parents preparing to send their children to Pre-K 3—take a deep breath.

The first day can be emotional, but your little one may surprise you.

Final Thoughts

Before choosing a Pre-K program, take the time to ask questions, tour the available locations, and think about what works best for your family’s daily routine.

And when the first day finally comes, don’t be surprised if you get a little emotional too.

They really do grow up so fast. ❤️