Preparing your child for school

The first day at school can be tricky and often quite hard for children (and parents too) but with a little preparation it’ll be easier for your little one to cope and enjoy their first days of school life.

Preparing your child for school

Books

The idea of starting big school can be very appealing for your little one, but with the excitement can also come worry and fear. To keep the magic of starting school a fun thing, it’s important to talk with your child about school days and school life. Let them know what to expect.

A way of doing this is to invest in books that talk about starting school. There are lots of lovely ‘starting school’ books, my favourite few I’ve listed below.

Practical skills

From toilet training to hand washing – help your little one to be prepared for school by helping them with practical skills.

Getting dressed: Shoe-laces are tricky for little hands, so it’s worth buying school shoeos they can manage themselves such as velcro or buckles.

Practice dressing and undressing as they’ll need to be able to change into their PE kit at least once a week. Also practice zips and buttons and putting on their coats and in the winter – gloves and boots!

Numbers, shapes and letters: It’s helpful if your little one can recognise a few numbers and shapes  and also their name. There are lot’s of activities here on Childcare is fun that you can do to help them with this (scroll through the actvitites menu on the right) but try not to worry if they really aren’t interested yet. Confidence and happiness on the first day of school far outweigh them knowing everything they are about to learn. So don’t push them into reading or writing if they would rather play!

My things: Let your child become familiar with what belongs to them in the weeks running up to school. The new shoes and uniform your bought in the shop will be long forgotten on the first day, so show your child their school items so they know which are theirs. Put their names in each item – this’ll not only help them recognise their name, it’ll stop things getting lost.

You can use sewn in labels, or a sharpy, but write the name clearly so your child can read it.

Don’t cry!

Starting school is your child’s first real step to independence, and it’s a huge moment for you all.

As a parent it’s so hard letting go – and the first day of school is a big step, but try to hold back those tears until they are through the door. I’m not being hard, but think of your little one. If they think you are upset, it’ll make them worried. Make school a happy place!

If your child is crying and upset on the first day, give a great big hug and tell them you will be coming back later. Give them a time of day to focus on rather than hours. By saying ‘I’ll be here not long after the last playtime” will help them focus on your return.

After a few days you may find the tears will stop as they make new friends and become used to the new routine. However, if they don’t and you are worried, make the teacher the first person you contact. Talk to them about your concerns or worries so you can work together toward a solution.

Helping your child sleep well for school

Sleep is really important for growing little minds and bodies, so a good bedtime routine and good night’s sleep is essential for school age children. I’ve written a ‘back to school’ sleep post here, and also another ‘Helping your child sleep well for school’ article here.