This is a collaborative post.
In a couple of months, the academic year will start afresh, and lots of children will be starting at a new school. For little ones who haven’t been to school before, this is such a daunting time for them. It’s important for parents to prepare their children as much as possible to make the experience a little easier. It’s impossible to know how your child will react when you drop them off on their first day. Some kids handle it well, while others refuse to leave the arms of their parent. However, there are many things you can do to help get them used to the idea. Below is some advice from a preparatory school in Somerset.
A great way to get your child ready for their first day at school is to talk about it as much possible and try and eliminate the fear of the unknown. Speak about it in a positive and enthusiastic manner and mention their teacher’s name here and there so that they start to find it familiar. The idea here is to try and spark some excitement in them, rather than anxiety. If talking about it doesn’t do the trick, you could consider visiting the school and attending taster sessions or welcome meetings. Essentially, you just want to get them as used the school as possible; the people, the facilities, the grounds, anything that might seem big and scary.
Try and get your child used to being away from you for extended periods of time. This is especially important if they didn’t go to nursery, as they’re probably worried about being separated from you at school. Have them go on play dates or stay at their grandparents sometimes; anything that familiarises them with being apart from you and under the supervision of another adult.
If you’re truly worried about your child and how they’re likely to cope with school, it might be worth contacting the new teachers for some additional advice. However, don’t panic too much because your child will be able to sense your concern and it won’t help with their nerves.