Are you looking for ways to help prepare your child for their first days of school? Check out these five tips to make the transition a little smoother!
Sending your child off to school for the first time can be emotional. It is a big deal for both the parent and the child as they progress into a new stage of their life. School plays a significant role in your child’s development and is an important milestone for both of you.
5 Ways to Prepare Your Child for their First Days of School
Some children are happy to accept and embrace this change, whereas others struggle and can find the separation and changes extremely difficult.
To help them cope as best as they can, here are five ways you can prepare your child for their first days at school.
Visit the School
Visiting the school or classroom with your child will put both of your minds at ease. It will make their surroundings more familiar and will allow you to rest easy knowing where your child is and who will be looking after them. Before you visit, you will need to find a school that meets yours and your child’s needs. For an excellent education within a Catholic environment, you should consider Visitation School.
Talk to Them
Communicating with your child is essential, especially during this time. You can explain to them what school is and try to make them excited for it, rather than just throwing them into the deep end. You should encourage your child to talk about their feelings about the situation, the school, teachers, friends, and activities. When you know how they feel and think, you will be able to work on their issues.
Provide Comfort Items
During their first days of school, you should allow your child to bring items of comfort to help them cope with any stress or anxiety during their first days. These items could be in the form of a toy or object they love. If you don’t want to risk an item that could be lost or broken, then you should consider making a portable family album so that they can see your face at all times.
Start a Routine
Kids thrive when they have a routine. When school starts, their original routine will have to change to incorporate school time into it. Beginning a routine a few weeks before school starts will help your child adjust to the change. You won’t be able to send them to school during this alteration, but you can find ways to practice their new lives, like learning how to get ready for school.
Rehearse Some Skills
Rehearsing self-help skills, like getting dressed and undressed, and learning how to wash hands properly, will teach your child some independence and will help them to stay safe at school. Learning these skills before school will make your child feel more confident when they are asked to do these things when at school. Reading them literature is also good practice and can put their minds at rest.
Ways to Prepare Your Child for their First Days of School
No matter how your child deals with the change, you need to understand that every child will need some extra attention right before and during their first days of school. Preparing them beforehand will make their journey into education easier for them.
