Introducing your child to the pre-k classroom is both exciting and a little scary. During this time, you're entire family will begin to experience a change – that baby that you sent off to pre-k will come home acting like an older, more responsible child. So, what do you need to know before you send your little one off to pre-k? Here, you'll find a few things to remember as your family begins this next chapter in life.

Acceptable Social Behavior

If your little one hasn't been around kids his or her own age very much, this is going to be a real change. When the little ones aren't exposed to kids their own age, they can sometimes come into the classroom without the social skills needed to get along with all of the other kids.

Before you send your little one off, spend a lot of time talking about and doing some roleplaying to teach him or her how to react in certain situations. There is surely going to be at least one incident in the classroom in which a child will take what your child wants, needs or was playing with. You must take the time to show your son or daughter how to handle such a situation – take a breath and talk to the teacher. The better you can prepare your child for what's to come, the easier things will be for your little one, which means, the easier things will be for you.

Food Allergies

One very serious issue that many parents don't even think about is food allergies. Unless your child has a serious allergy, or you're close friends with someone who does, chances are, you don't give a second thought about food allergies that other kids may have.

Most classrooms have a no food sharing rule in place. This rule is there to protect your child as well as the other kids in the classroom. If your child has a snack with even the smallest amount of peanut oil and he or she shares with a classmate with the peanut allergy, there will be serious problems and it will horrify every child, teacher and staffer in the school. Make sure that your child understands not to share food in school.

Talk with the local pre-k schools in your area, like Prep Company Tutorial Schools. When you find the right school, you'll know it. Then, you can begin preparing for this next great chapter in your life.