It’s getting close to that time of the year, you are getting ready for your toughest day of the year, the first day your child’s school. You’ve thought about it, worried about it and yet you don’t feel ready. In truth, you will probably never be fully ready, but here are a few tips to make the process easier for you and your child.
TIP 1: Take Your Time In The Morning!
Make sure your child gets to bed early the day before the first day of school, this will make sure that when you wake your little one up in the morning, they do it happily and without stress. Making sure you have a calm, relaxed breakfast together, avoiding any early morning tantrums and reaching school in a happy frame of mind.
TIP 2: Look Happy For Your Little One
Sending your child to school the first time is stressful…for you, make sure that you are not transferring your stress to the little one. Keep an upbeat, happy tone with your tot, encourage them to feel that they will have a good time. Your mood is infectious, it will give them another reason to look forward to the day.
TIP 3: Stick Around For The First Couple Of Days
Most pre-schools today encourage parents to stick around for the first couple of days, starting in the classroom. As the child gets comfortable, you can withdraw gently from the scene. Within a couple of days, the teacher will be able to give you the flexibility to withdraw from the scene. The adjustment period is likely to be different for each child, but is rarely more than a couple of days.
TIP 4: Short Goodbyes Are Better For Everyone
Getting ready to leave? Paste a smile on your face, make sure your separation anxiety is under control and give your little one a hug. Make sure you tell them when you’ll be back and then head for the door – don’t linger, but do make sure that they know you are leaving – you don’t want your child to feel insecure. One critical thing to remember, even if your child decides to have a screaming fit at your departure, they will nearly always be okay within a few minutes of your departure and likely to spend the rest of their school time happily hanging out with their new friends.
TIP 5: Being A Parent Partner
Your relationship with your child’s teacher is a partnership and you must treat it as such. This will give you the confidence of knowing that your little one is in safe and trustworthy hands when you are not there. Trust yourself that you have made the right decision with the school that you have chosen and that the teacher your child is with is the right partner for your child’s care.