Do your preschool parents actually read your preschool handbook? This post will tell you everything you should put in your preschool handbook, so your preschool runs like a well-oiled machine!
You’ve put your heart and soul into your 20 page preschool handbook. You’ve lost sleep trying to word the section about your curriculum just right. You’ve covered everything from drop off, to where the children will hang up their backpacks, to the dates and procedures for the field trips, to what the students need to do on each class party day. Then the phone rings, a parent has a question…
You know you covered that information on page 12, paragraph 3, but you patiently answer the question and get off the phone to check your email, which has another question that is clearly explained in the handbook. “Doesn’t anyone read the handbook,“ you feel like shouting!
Parents Are Busy
Between breakfast, and laundry, and soccer practice, and changing diapers (and that’s just before 8:00 a.m.!) parents have little time to focus on your 20 page preschool handbook. They may have started to read it because they know it’s important, but they also know you are just a call/text/or message away if they need to know something about their child’s preschool classes.
On average about 60-70% of your parents will ever read your policies and procedures manual. You will always have parents who won’t read it. And, you will always have parents who will read it, but they will still call you anyway. That’s just the way it is. Shouting at them won’t help.
You Need To Properly Train Your Preschool Parents
If you are getting the same questions over and over again it is probably because you have not properly trained your parents. There are three critical times that you need to explain the policies and procedures to your preschool families.
The first time you go over the information is during The Tour. As the parents are with you, usually one on one, have the policies and procedures built into your speech. As you go throughout the tour from your driveway to your preschool room, explain how each process works. When things happen, where things happen, how things happen, and why they happen. Of course, this is all done in a very natural sounding dialogue.
The next time you will go over the policies and procedures is at the Meet and Greet two weeks before the first day of school. This is a great time to go over your preschool handbook and to answer any questions the parents may have.
Last, as the parents leave the Meet and Greet be sure they each have a copy of your much shorter (about 4 pages is ideal) preschool handbook that covers the policies that they absolutely MUST know, and the answers to any frequently asked questions you have received, and encourage your preschool parents to read your preschool handbook.
What You MUST Have On The Preschool Registration Form
Leave a Reply