Anxious about your child’s first day in a ‘big’ school? Do you have butterflies in your stomach as you watch your little one all ready to start another new phase in their lives?
As parents, your child’s first day of school is a huge milestone and can be quite daunting. It is that day when your little ones start a new chapter in their lives and a day when they start to really spread their wings.
However, as this day approaches, with it comes to a whole lot of apprehensions, questions and fears. We understand that this change can be a little stressful. However, while these apprehensions are very normal, it is also important to understand and believe that your little one will be fine. You will soon look back at these days with a smile, wondering how beautifully you managed to transition them to a ‘big school’.
We have put together some tips that will help ease this process for you and your little one:
STEP 1 –Narrow down on the right choice
There aren’t any ideal or perfect schools for your little one. Every child is different and learns in different ways and while some teaching methodology might work for one, it might not work for the other. What is important, therefore, is to ensure that you have the right child-school-parent fit that works for both you and your child. Once you have narrowed down on that and are confident that they will be well looked after and cared for there, half the battle has been won.
STEP 2 –Network and connect
Now that you have chosen the school for your child, you also need to ensure that you build a positive parent-school relationship.
STEP 2 – Start preparing your little one
An excellent way to ensure that your child is aware of how different schools will be as compared to the preschool that they are used to is to start talking to them about ‘big’ school.
STEP 3 – Set up a morning routine well in advance
A big school is different from the protected environment that your little one loved going to. It is a good idea to set up a new morning routine a week to 10 days before so that you can help your little one ease into this new routine. It is important that you impart a routine and make the first day of school easy for your child. After all, we don’t want a sleepy and cranky little child on their first day of school, do we?
STEP 4 – It’s Showtime!
The day has finally arrived. Your little one has been fed, her bag is packed and she is all excited and ready for school.
STEP 5 – Talk! Talk! Talk!
Once your child has settled in her ‘big’ school, it is also equally important to create an environment at home where your child feels comfortable enough to tell you about everything and anything that happens during their day there. From the friends that they make to the exciting things that they learn to even the moments where they were not happy, making sure your little one has an open and honest conversation with you about their new school, will help build a strong parent and child relationship that will last for years to come.
We understand that moving your child to a ‘big’ school can be tough and quite challenging for both you and your little one. However, do remember that this too shall pass and within a couple of months, everything will be back to normal, regular routines would be in place and you would all be glad to put this phase behind you. Till then, have faith in your little one, soak in these new experiences, try and enjoy every moment of it and remember that it is ok to feel anxious and that everything will be fine and your child will be completely ready for school.
With children out of school, physical distancing as the new norm, and children’s rights under threat, the new world order has “turned back the clock” on years of progress made on children’s well-being. However, it’s not all bad. As a human race, we’ve been built to adapt: we’ve seen a tipping point in technology-enabled education and the promise of a new education policy in our country.