It is never easy for children to come to terms with a new phase in their lives – SCHOOL. The transformation from carefree preschoolers to responsible first-graders can be quite a change, especially if they are not prepared for it. To avoid facing certain difficulties and wisely preparing children for the first day at school, here are some guidelines.
- It is better to start preparing your children for the school and the learning process ahead of time so they will have enough time to get used to the upcoming changes.
- It is important to properly present an upcoming occasion, i.e. going to school for the first time and being a first-grader in a positive way so that children feel the excitement. You can discuss with kids, the meals you will prepare or who you will invite and how you will celebrate that particular day.
- One of the ways to arouse the interest of children in school is to buy school stationery, backpack and uniform with them so they can feel the involvement. Let them pick out all those school supplies personally.
- It is recommended to portray the school environment and the educational process in the form of a theatre or puppet show and encourage your child to participate in it. In the “theatre” you can explain how to properly behave and how everything works at the school. This helps children get a clear idea regarding the school and make them feel less nervous.
- There are several tear-free goodbye tips which help to lighten your obligations and make your child’s special day memorable. For example, you can find our from school about some classmates and have a few playdates before school begins. You can introduce your children to their teacher and some classmates. This will help them create a familiar environment at school when it begins. You can bring your kids’ favourite toy, a family picture or whatever makes them feel at home in school. You can also be creative and come up with a funny goodbye face and wave to your child so he or she can relax and be less anxious.
- The most important tip regarding first-graders is to daily tell your child that he/she will succeed at school and there is no reason for anxiety. Moreover, after the beginning of the classes, parents have to be sure to ask with whom their children make friends, how are classes, what they find interesting, what is boring and other questions. All this interaction, in turn, helps children understand that parents care about him/her.
If you have any other suggestions regarding the topic and you want to share your own life-hacks, feel free to contact and write your offers to contributors@littlepanda.cz.