First Day Of Big School

Here are a few tips to help out with that first day. Some are general, some are things we educators have picked up over the years. Hopefully all helpful!

1 - Be prepared. Get lunch ready the night before in containers they can open. Put their uniform out ready for the morning. Make sure their bag is packed including school hat. Ask what they want for breakfast in the morning (2 choices) so they don't have to decide in the moment. Run through the morning routine (visuals and charts help) a couple of times before the first day, so it can run smoothly. Make sure your child is involved in the prep as much as possible, to give them ownership and autonomy.

2- Label EVERYTHING. All clothing including underwear, socks and shoes, their bags, water bottles, lunch box and containers, pencil case, even glasses if they wear them and any toys/items they take. It will really help teachers get your child's items back to you if they end up left in the playground. There are a few people locally that can embroider names into clothes, or cricut names for items, for more permanent solutions.

3 - Mind your words and feelings. It's not a stretch to say some adults did not overly enjoy their school experience for whatever reason. Its ok if you feel anxious, scared or even resentful at the idea of having to send your child into an environment that you may not associate good memories or feelings with. Please remember, you are your child's first teacher. You have already imparted values and beliefs onto your child, and will continue to do so, its natural. However, please remember that your child's experience is not necessarily going to be the same as yours. We want them to feel confident, resilient, and empowered to learn, and this will come from the way school is discussed. Try and make it sound like a fun place to learn amazing new things, and your child will start to see it that way. And remember, teaching is much like the sciences in that it is always evolving and changing as we learn new things about child development and the way we learn.

4 - Be brave. Even if your schooling experience was wonderful, you might still feel sad or nervous about seeing your baby all grown up and starting the next chapter of their lives - also very natural! Remember, your child is likely feeling those things too, especially when reality sets in as you walk through the gates on that first day. They are about to be torn from the comfort of all they have known, to navigate this complex new environment, full of social learning as much as academic- it's scary! Even children who seem excited may have feelings of uncertainty bubbling underneath. Be brave in this moment when they say goodbye. Give them a big hug and a kiss, and make sure you seem relaxed, calm and happy about it, even if all those parental instincts are screaming at you to scoop them up and run home! They are being left with professionals who understand children, and who will do whatever they can to help them settle into their new school. Kindergarten is meant to be fun, and we want them to look forward to going, but if they see mum or dad or gran getting sad at drop off, they are going to become very unsettled and uncomfortable with the idea of being left in a place that illicits that kind of reaction from the people that protect and keep them safe. Please try to keep smiling, at least until they are in the classroom, and if you need a space to hide and cry afterwards, our staff room is at your disposal!

5 - Bed time and sleep - I think we all know the benefits of a good nights sleep; from our health, immunity, mood and cognitive function. It is especially important for growing children, even if they don't quite understand it! Try to establish a consistent bed time routine before school starts. Take into account the first term will be especially tiring for them, moving to 5 days a week. Plan for an early bedtime each night and follow your routine so they understand what is expected. This could be a story in bed first, or maybe a bath (water does wonders!). Whatever you choose, be consistent. Some children may require extra professional help to achieve sound sleeping, please chat to us if you need support in this area and we can help you seek out some support.

6- start the morning right - I don't know about you, but I am a zombie before 8am. If someone tries to talk to me or gives me a problem to solve there is instant cognitive dysfunction - I couldn't tell you the time if I was staring at a clock! Obviously this is not the case for everyone, but even if you are the early bird type, this is still a nice way to start the day. Spend 10 minutes with your child. You don't even need to be talking (although I'm sure they will!) but spend just 10 minutes connecting over a quick activity, or even when eating breakfast. Try to limit all distractions, such as tv's or phones, and make it about being together. Interestingly, experiencing just 10 minutes of connection first thing in the morning can help set your mood for the rest of the day! Give it a go over term 1 and see how it affects yourself and your children.

7 - Say goodbye and go. Do not linger, as tempting as it might be when they are asking for just one more hug - they would ask all day if they thought it would make you stay. The longer this takes, the more likely feelings of worry are going to grow, for both your child and you, and the harder it will become for your child to settle into their day. Develop a goodbye ritual - it might be a hug and a kiss, a special high five or even a quick dance together if you're up for it! Whatever it looks like, try and say goodbye the same way, and in the same place, every day. The goodbye routine will become familiar and help them feel much more relaxed. Similarly, where possible, try and pick up from the same location each day as well and discuss what they did at school, share what you've been doing throughout the day as well, and give them an opportunity to discuss any worries or feelings from the day. Please try and remain calm and neutral - if you run over to your child at the end of the day and start saying things like "oh goodness we were apart for so long! I hope everything went ok. Did you eat all your lunch and drink all your water? Were the other kids nice?" You are essentially feeding their 'worry monster' Try not to ask too many questions when picking up, let them talk and decompress - school can be very over-stimulating. Help them find a good routine when they get home that allows them to take their mind off of school, such as playing in the garden, or some arts and crafts (eventually, when they start getting homework, please allow them time to play once they are home, no matter how old they are. It will make homework a lot easier if they can have some time to themselves first).

As always, remember the above advice is general, and may not always apply to every child's needs. If you have any worries at all about the transition to school next year, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us. We are here to support you on this journey, as well as your child.

- Bec Goosens