Kindergarten Should Be Stress-Free.

• Position: Brief Article

Sensitive parents are a key to success for youngsters entering kindergarten, according to Mary McMullen, an Indiana University, Bloomington, education professor who specializes in early childhood education. "The beginning of the kindergarten school year, especially if it is in a setting new to the child, can be a difficult one for both these young children and their parents. In particular, parents need to think carefully about what they are asking of their children as they plan their school and child care arrangements for the upcoming year."

McMullen points out that most of these youngsters are forced to deal with multiple transitions throughout the day, which can be stressful for five- and six-year-olds. Many go from some type of early morning child care to kindergarten; then to special art, music, or physical education classes; then after-school child care; and then home. A number of them are then shuttled off to sports events or other extracurricular activities. Some even have the added stress of multiple living arrangements because of divorced parents.

This can result in too many sets of expectations. "Research shows that sensitively responsive adults, who know, understand, and respond appropriately to a...