From Home to Classroom: Exploring Caregiver Perspectives on Preschool Readiness and Resilience in Buea, Cameroon

School readiness ensures a successful home to school transition. However, not much is known about physical readiness. This study explores parental perceptions of physical school readiness and resilience in preschool children. Qualitative data (n = 20) were collected through interviews from the sample drawn purposively using snowball in Cameroon. Parents and teachers of 3-to-5-year-old children were asked to provide perceptions of child physical readiness and their implications on resilience. Results from thematic and content analysis revealed that physically ready children exhibited autonomous gross and fine motor abilities. Caregivers described mental resilience as persistence in the face of difficulty. They reported concern for bullying when their children showed lack of physical readiness, self-confidence, coordination, and cognitive skills. Other conditions such as stunted growth and being overly-pampered by caregivers were presented as diminishing resilience. Providing an enabling yet safe environment that facilitates optimal motor skills is viewed as enhancing school readiness and resilience.