What If Your Preschool Child Has a Meltdown During the Admissions Assessment?
Updated: Oct 7
Don't panic about one bad moment. If you're worried about how your child will be perceived, talk to someone like me (Kinota Braithwaite) who has actually worked inside these schools and understands what educators are looking for.
It is every international school parent's worst nightmare during a preschool or kindergarten admissions process.
You have done all of the paperwork, paid the school's application fee, and finally arrive for the observation day at your child's future international school in Tokyo.
As you walk down the street and see the school in the distance, your child suddenly has a complete, tearful meltdown.
Most parents in this situation are going to instantly panic. They assume the international school admissions team is going to judge them, or that their child's chances of getting accepted are completely ruined.
But here is the thing: in my almost 20 years teaching in international schools, I have seen more child meltdowns and school refusals than I can count.
It is fairly common for a three-year-old to lose their concentration or get emotional during a school visit.
Every child has a bad day.
Maybe they didn't sleep well the night before.
Maybe they are hungry.
Maybe walking into a massive room full of strangers and unfamiliar things was simply too overwhelming for them at that particular moment.
Experienced early childhood educators working in international schools know how to spot a tired, nervous child.
They are not simply looking at whether a child follows every direction, or has a perfect observation. They are looking at the child more broadly including how they recover and how their parent supports them.
That is why having someone who understands the admissions process from inside the school can be valuable.
I can help you look at your child's current skills and behavior from the perspective of an international school educator, so you have a better understanding of what may be a normal three-year-old moment and what may be an area your child needs to work on before applying.
Kinota Braithwaite Learning & Assessment Specialist More Than Just Tutoring Tokyo kinota@morethanjusttutoringtokyo.com
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