Helping Your Child Get Ready for School

The beginning of the school year should be an exciting time, but it can be stressful for kids starting at a new school. Whether you moved over the summer or are simply switching schools, you’re probably wondering how to make the transition easier on your kids. Here are 10 expert tips.

1. Be prepared;

It is really important to get to know what is expected of you and your child before they start school, so that you don’t tell your child one thing and the school says another. You will hopefully have been invited to visit the setting before the big day so take full advantage of this where possible. Encouraging your child to make some friends that are going to be in the same class before they start can help them settle in quicker, so if you are new to the area the school may be able to help you with this.

2. Be in a good routine;

To make sure that your child’s body clock is ready for the school run, it’s always a good idea to start adjusting to the same time frame as school some days before they start school. Having tired and grumpy children obviously will not help and children who are rushing out of the house in the morning and dropped off in a hurry often get anxious and irritable because they don’t have enough time to adjust.

3. Stay Positive;

It is important to stay positive as we saw in the above example. Even if you feel miserable (or over joyed) about your children starting school, try not to let it show. Children need to feel that you are happy about them going off to school or being away from you so that they don’t worry about you or feel that they are missing out on some other fun.

4. Tell them what you want them to do;

Letting children know how you want them to behavior at school in a positive way is really helpful, such as “Sharing the toys and listening to the teacher,” rather than what you don’t want such as, “Don’t go fighting and don’t be naughty”, Explaining as much as you think they will understand helps them to be well prepared.

5. Find a friend;

Find another child in the neighborhood for your child to walk to school with or sit next to on the bus. The trip to school can be scary, so having a friend to walk or sit with can help ease the tension. A good friend can distract you from your nerves and get you to talk about something other than school.