Sending your child off to preschool is a bittersweet moment in the lives of most parents. If the time has come for your little one to start preschool, you're probably experiencing a jumble of emotions, many of which are in direct conflict with one another. You may be excited, for instance, that your child is reaching a new milestone in his or her life, yet you could be simultaneously sad because this milestone marks the end of those sweet baby years. All parents go through this, and while nothing will alleviate the pang you feel the first few times you leave your child at the preschool, you'll feel better if you know that you've done all you can to properly prepare yourself for when your child goes to preschool. After all, you've probably already done your due diligence and learned everything you can about preparing your child for this milestone -- now it's time to prepare yourself. Following are four strategies designed to help you weather this transition.

Have Your Child Memorize the Basics

You'd be surprised at how many preschool aged children don't even know their full names and home addresses. Practice with your child each day prior to starting preschool to ensure that your child has thoroughly memorized these basics. Don't stop, however, once you're convinced that your child can recite this information whenever it's necessary -- be sure to continue to provide your child with refresher practice sessions to make sure the information remains fresh in his or her mind. It is also a good idea to stitch a tag on the interior of your child's backpack that contains your content information. This will provide you with added peace of mind.

Make Several Surprise Visits

Drop in on the preschool several times in the months before your child is scheduled to begin, and bring your child with you so that he or she can become familiar with the environment. Naturally, you don't want to disrupt the activities, but you should be able to pop in for a brief visit with no problem. Preschools that discourage this among parents and the parents of prospective students may not necessarily have anything to hide, but you may want to investigate further if the school has a strict no-visitors policy. Keep in mind, however, that good preschools offer structured environments that may not be able to easily accommodate parents and other people constantly dropping by. If you still feel apprehensive after a few short, unannounced visits, this may be a sign that you need to look elsewhere for a preschool that you're comfortable with.

Join the School's Parents' Group

Many preschools have parents' groups that meet for coffee or for brown bag lunches in neighborhood parks. These are often combined with play groups, and they provide parents with excellent ways to communicate with one another concerning specific schools. They can be a tremendous resource for everyone involved, especially if you don't already have a network of parents of children the same ages as yours.

Volunteer

Even if you've only got an hour or two here and there to spare, volunteering provides an excellent way for parents to connect in a significant way. Preschools and other educational institutions are always crying out for volunteers, whether it's going along on field trips, assisting at story hour, or helping out in the kitchen. Many preschools have fundraising events that could use all the help from parents that they can get. No matter what your personal preferences and individual skill set, there's bound to be some way that you can volunteer at your child's preschool.

Your family will settle into a new routine in a matter of weeks or months, and you'll wonder why you were ever anxious about your child going to preschool.