7 Tips to Help Your Child Love School

The first day of school is a big event in our child’s life, and ours as well. From the safe and familiar cocoon of home and our near constant presence, they’re now suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar world, with other adults and children. They have to learn new routines, follow new rules and be nice to other children.

As adults, we sometimes struggle with change. So it’s but natural that our child will find the transition to school overwhelming, and in fact, quite scary.

There’s no reason to worry though, as this anxiety usually passes within the first couple of months after our child settles down and adjusts to the new routine and people.

Here are a few tips to help them ease into the school experience and learn to love it.

1. Start preparing her in advance

Our child needs time to get used to the idea of school. We can start the process weeks in advance, and turn it into something exciting. We can include her in picking her school bag, lunch box and school clothes. All of this can help make her less anxious.

2. Be a good role model

Our child will take her cues from us. So if we are calm, confident and excited, they will pick up on that.

p>3. Visit the school

Most schools do an orientation for new children. But we can do a school tour anyway. The more familiar she gets, the easier the transition. We can take her around the school, point out the different activities she will do each day and show here the play areas. She will be curious to learn more.

4. Team up with the teacher

A friendly chat with the teacher will help our child see her as someone we like and trust. This will make it easier for her to bond with the teacher.

5. Build her confidence

It’s natural for our child to be anxious, but we can calm her fears by communicating that we believe in her, that she’s going to do well, that she’s going to have fun. We can prepare her by training her to tell the teacher when she needs to go to the toilet, by showing her how to make new friends and to raise her hand to ask a question. These will go a long way in bolstering her confidence

6. Be on time

We should allow our child enough time to get ready and go through her morning routine before leaving for school. If she feels rushed, it could add to her anxiety. Also, we should make sure we reach a few minutes before pick up so that she doesn’t feel like she’s the last one left in class.

7. Probe her anxieties

If our child seems settled for a while, but then halfway through the school year suddenly declares that she hates school and doesn’t want to go, we should not ignore it. We should gently probe and find out if there is something that has upset her routine. It could be a change in teacher or friends or something small but which could be affecting her greatly. If she doesn’t settle even after a few days, we could meet her teacher and find out ways to reassure her.

School can be a fantastic experience for our child once she settles down. Most often a child who’s clingy and bawling at drop off can be a different child when it comes to being picked up, and we might have to coax her to leave school. So mamas, stay calm and your child will make the transition to school easily and joyfully.

Do you have any tips to help your child love school? Please share them with other mums in the comments below.