Starting school is one of the most significant milestones for children and parents. The start of this exciting new chapter can cause a mixture of emotions for kids and parents. It’s a time when many parents feel proud and happy but also nervous and apprehensive. Some children may be thrilled that they’re off to kindergarten or elementary school, while others may be anxious or worried. As a parent, it’s always beneficial to try to oversee a smooth transition. In this guide, we’ll outline some simple steps to help you get your kids ready for school.
Adopt similar routines
As your child approaches school age, they’re probably settled in routines at home or daycare. It’s beneficial to establish routines to help children understand what the day holds in store and adapt to different activities and environments. When you’re getting ready to take your kids to school for the first time, it’s helpful to adjust your child’s routine to mimic the daily routine at school. Find out more from your child’s teachers and get advice from parents who have older children. Tweaking the routine can help your child get used to their new schedule and reduce the risk of stress when they start. You may find that you only need to make very small modifications, for example, moving their lunchtime by 30 minutes or taking more breaks to exercise or play between structured activities. If your child can adapt before their first day, this will help to ease them in gently.
As well as modifying your child’s routine during the day, it’s wise to adjust bedtimes and morning alarms to prepare for the school day. If your child is used to getting up late, for example, waking them for school will be a shock to the system. Take a few weeks to move towards the times you’ll be getting up and going to bed when school starts. This will help their internal body clock to adapt and ensure they’re getting sufficient rest to cope with the demands of a new routine at school.
Encourage socialization
Many children start school having spent the majority of their time with their parents or other family members. If your child hasn’t been to daycare or pre-kindergarten, or they don’t socialize with other children at toddler classes and groups, starting school may be overwhelming. Encouraging socialization before they go to school is a great way to help them adjust to new people, build relationships and get used to having a large group of kids around them. It’s also beneficial to facilitate socialization even if your kids are used to other people and they’ve been around other children for a long time. It’s particularly helpful to meet other families who will attend the school so that there are familiar faces from day one.
Making friends through play dates, classes and organized meet-ups in the local community will help your child develop relationships. It can also ease anxiety and make kids feel more confident and comfortable before they go to school. As children get older, they go through different stages of play and building social ties. While babies and young kids often play alone, older children enjoy observing other kids and playing together. You can find out more about spectator play, parallel play ages, associative play and when children start to embrace cooperative play online or by talking to teachers and educators. As the start of school looms, look for details of events organized by your child’s school and join parent social media groups. As well as helping your child to make friends ahead of the start of the semester, you may also find it beneficial to meet other parents.
Use books and online resources
Reading books and using online resources to help kids prepare for school is an excellent idea. You can buy or borrow books from the library to help your child understand what happens at school and what to expect. Reading stories about your child’s favorite character going to school for the first time, for example, offers a fun way to help them learn about upcoming experiences. It can also be beneficial for your child to talk to older children who can give insights into what going to school entails and help your child start getting excited and counting down the days.
Manage expectations
Every child will approach starting school in a different way. Some may be incredibly excited and positive about the experience, others may have good and bad days, and some may be dreading it. As a parent, it’s important to manage expectations. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself on your kids and be realistic about what might happen on day one. Your child may run off into the sunset without a care in the world, but they may also hang onto you in floods of tears. Try to be rational about the situation, explain what the first day has in store for your child and provide support and reassurance. It’s helpful to find the right balance between encouraging your child to look forward to going to school and understanding that they may feel nervous or upset. Make sure they know you’ll be there when it’s time to go home and that it’s perfectly natural to be a bit nervous about going to school. Share your own experiences and let them know that most of their new friends will be feeling exactly the same. Try to help them be as positive as possible but ensure they know that it’s fine to show emotions.
Introduce more structured activities at home
If your child isn’t used to going to classes, structured play groups or pre-kindergarten, try introducing organized activities at home. Free play is essential, but it’s helpful to get kids used to sitting down to do exercises and trying activities that require them to focus for a period of time. Being more structured at home can prepare them for the school day and help them adjust to their new routine. It’s also beneficial to lead into and finish periods of organized play or learning activities in a similar way to teachers. You might want to start using certain phrases to begin storytime or adding elements to educational tasks to get them used to new terminology or cues. Liaise and communicate with your child’s class teachers before the start of school to give you an idea of what kinds of instructions they use.
Talk to your child openly
Going to school is a huge stepping stone for children. It marks the start of many years of formal education and the opportunity to meet new people, learn and discover new things. For children, starting school is an adventure that can conjure up varied emotions. As you get close to their first day, talk to your child openly, find out how they’re feeling and encourage them to ask questions or share ideas, thoughts or concerns. It’s best to air issues and tackle problems rather than for children to let them fester. Talk about what they’re looking forward to and what they might not be excited about and answer questions as best you can. Being open with your child can help them get things off their mind, but it’s also beneficial for encouraging them to build relationships with others and communicate with other children and adults.
Starting school is one of the most eagerly anticipated milestones for children and parents, but it can also be nerve-racking. If your child is going to school soon, it’s beneficial to be proactive in getting them ready for new routines, environments and faces. Taking steps like meeting other children and parents, adjusting their routine, introducing more structure at home and using books and learning resources to help them understand what happens at school can make a positive difference.