Starting primary school can feel overwhelming for you as well as your child. It is a big transition in your lives, your child leaving the nest, and feeling anxious about it is very common. However, as children often reflect their parents’ emotions, it’s good to stay calm and confident so they’re likely to feel the same. So, to help ease your concerns and guide you and your child smoothly through this change, we’ve assembled five useful tips in this blog.
1. Address Emotional Needs
It is important to reassure your child that it is normal to feel nervous or sad about starting school. You could share your personal experience of beginning something new and tell them how it will get better with time. Children often rely on their parents for emotional support, so you must be able to demonstrate trust in your child’s ability to handle change.
2. Discuss Expectations
Before your child starts school, it is important to talk to them about what to expect from it and everything that it involves such as the routine, new friends, classes and teachers. Going through the school day step-by-step could be an effective way to help them understand what to expect on the big day and avoid them from too being frightened. However, if your child is becoming too overwhelmed by this, you could just focus on one aspect of the school day each week. You could also read them books or let them watch shows about starting school to help your children visual it in a positive way.
3. Foster Independence
You should encourage your child to practice self-care skills such as dressing themselves, using the bathroom independently and listening to instructions. This will help them build confidence in becoming more independent and prepare them for the school environment. To help your child feel more in charge, label things like clothing, backpacks, and lunchboxes so they can quickly identify what belongs to them.
4. Create a Goodbye Routine
One of the hardest aspects of this transition can be saying goodbye to your child on their first day. Although you may want to make a big fuss about it, it is important to stay calm and comfort your child in reassuring way. An excellent way to do this is by establishing a farewell routine on the big day. It could be as simple as a special hug or a secret handshake, whatever works for you and your child, but make sure it is consistent to foster a sense of familiarity.
5. Stay Busy
It will be quieter at home once your child starts school, and you may feel lost for the first few weeks as one of your main responsibilities has gone. During this time, you need to remember to take care of yourself and make the most of your time. Perhaps you could start a new hobby or take up additional hours at work. It is good to keep busy otherwise you could just keep getting worried about your child. At the school gate, try and talk to the other parents, as they are likely to be experiencing the same feeling. This will provide you comfort and you could exchange some ideas to help you both get through this period.
Learn more about our charity campaign, ‘Someone To Talk To.’ We offer free one-on-one therapy sessions to support children who may be struggling with starting school.
References
https://www.mumsnet.com/articles/starting-preschool
https://www.mumsnet.com/articles/starting-primary-school
https://www.mother.ly/child/child-milestones/sending-child-to-school-first-time/
https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/childrens-article/how-to-prepare-your-child-for-their-first-day-at-primary-school
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/how-to-prepare-your-child-for-primary-school
