Your Child’s First Day at School
The first day at school can be a very daunting experience for both you and your child.
Starting school is an important and exciting step for any child, even if they attended Nursery or a pre-school group. The most important thing parents can do is be re-assuring and positive and talk to their child in advance so they realise this is a special and enjoyable time in their lives and there’s nothing to be scared of.
There are many things that parents can do to help prepare their child for that first day at school. Leapfrog has devised a list to help guide parents through this time…
- Ensure you are listening when your child wants to talk about ‘big school’
- Take your child to visit the school before they start; attend open days and social events and point it out when you walk / drive past it
- Find out your child’s teachers name and use it in conversation
- Talk about all their friends that will be there too
- Plan ahead – make sure you have purchased the uniform (if necessary), lunchbox, gym bag, books etc… that you think your child may need. Buying new things and getting prepared will help build the excitement about starting school
- Establish sleep patterns – start a sensible sleep routine a couple of weeks before your child starts school and make sure you both get a good nights sleep before the big day
- Set your alarm half an hour before you usually do, this will prevent you from having to rush about and will allow you to spend some time with your child so you both feel relaxed on leaving the house
After the first day, parents may find that their child is tired and irritable and doesn’t want to talk about their first day – this is quite normal and doesn’t mean they’ve had a horrible day. As they get used to going to school and settle in to a routine, they’ll become much more talkative!
