Preparing Your Child For School

Parenting is a learning experience in itself. Every stage of the child offers something new to discover and learn. Schooling is one of the major milestones in a child’s life. It’s the first time they will step out of the house without their parents. It can be overwhelming for both the parents and the child. I too was very apprehensive initially but now, I feel that we did the right thing for Riaan. He totally loves school and looks forward to go every single day. I will never deny that the initial few days were a turmoil of emotions. I could hear him crying and it would break my heart. But, that’s the time to  be strong because if your child sees you break down, it will be all the more difficult for him to settle down. It didn’t take long for him to adjust and now he enjoys going to school.

In this post, I will be sharing a few preparatory steps that we took to make the transition smooth.

Research well – Parents, please do a thorough research of the school before finalising. Visit the campus, see the classrooms, meet the teachers and the principal and do a little asking around. My point is to be hundred percent convinced before you enrol your child.

Introduce the concept – Once the admission is taken, slowly introduce the idea of schooling to the child. Play a few role play games involving school. You could also show them a few children going to school. This should begin a few weeks prior to the commencement date to keep the tempo up.

Take a sneak peek – Take your child to see the school. Children are  great observers. Let them see and explore everything. Answer all the questions they have and be enthusiastic yourself.

Make them relate – If you head to the park with your kid, then point out to a slide and tell him that there is one in his school too. Show the colours of his classroom and make him identify them.

Make it fun – The introduction of schooling should be a fun thing rather than a pressurised emotion. Remember, that your child is going to be away from you for 2 to 3 hours. That itself is enough to work them up and make them insecure. How you handle the situation will make a lot of difference.

Separation Anxiety – All said and done, they are babies after all.  There will be tears for the first days or weeks as well. Be there for them and assure them that they will be safe.

Keep them informed – Children understand much more than what we think. I have always made it a point to tell Riaan that I or some other member of the family will positively come to pick him up on time and we ensure that we get there on time.

These are a few things that we practised and trust me, it dint take long for Riaan to get adjusted at school. Remember parents, every child is different and will take their own time to get used to it. Please do not compare your child with some other kid. It’s a huge change for them and they are too young for it. Keep your patience levels up and be extra positive with your child.

Do you have any first day of school experiences or any more tips to share? Drop a line and let us know.

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Also read: 4 Ways For Smooth Back To School Phase

Explore the entire collection of articles: Parenting Gyaan

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