We all remember that terrified feeling on the first day in your new school. Whether it be a transition from pre-school to primary school, or primary to secondary school, the experience can leave any child feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. The numerous changes to their daily routine can be a lot for them to take.
If you’re worried about how your child is going to cope with one of their biggest life changes to date, then fear not! We have come up with a list of our top 5 tips for starting a new school, which will hopefully help to ease both you and your child’s worries. Here is our advice on how to give your little one the best possible start to the new school year:
1. Familiarise as much as possible
If your child is familiar with their surroundings and their new structure as early as possible, it will ease their stress of trying to figure out where they’re going and what they should be doing at school. Sometimes, a larger school will provide your child with a map of the school grounds, to help them get familiar with their new school building and to avoid them getting lost. If your child is not initially provided with a map, then it might be worth asking the school if they could send one to you - it could end up being a lifesaver!
Another thing would be to introduce your child to their teachers as soon as possible. A few familiar faces on their first day could make all the difference, and it would also give you a chance to give the teachers a heads-up if your child is feeling particularly anxious. Lastly, make sure to have a look through your child’s daily timetable each morning, so that they are aware of what classes and rooms they will need to be in throughout the day.
2. Meet the parents
If you live in a small area, then there is a good chance that you will already be familiar with your child’s classmates and their families. However, if you live in a heavily-populated area and if your child is going to a bigger school, then it is likely that neither of you will know many people. A good way to ease any worries about this is to meet the families as early as you can! There are loads of fun ideas that you could introduce to gather the families together - afternoon tea, play dates, picnic parties, or even just a simple chat over coffee (or hot chocolate for the children). While you are introducing yourself to the other adults in the room, your child can get to know their new classmates better, and will hopefully make a few friends in time for the new school year. Regardless of how you decide to do it, getting to know the other parents in the school is vital - especially when you will be seeing them regularly for the next few years!
3. Keep things exciting
If your child is feeling particularly anxious about starting their new school, then it is a good idea to try and keep the situation as exciting as possible for them, instead of dwelling on the scariest parts of it. Doing things such as picking out their school bag, trying on school shoes or treating them to cool stationary will help them to visualise themselves in their new school and get them excited about using their new purchases. Additionally, if you don’t want to splash the cash, something as simple as watching school-based films could help ignite that excited spark in your child - we would recommend School of Rock or High School Musical to get the positive vibes going!
4. New chances to play
There is a possibility that your child’s new school will offer new clubs and facilities that they were not offered in their previous school. Even though joining a bigger school can be a daunting experience, new opportunities can be such a great way to lessen their anxieties. Get your child to have a look through all of the new activities they will be offered. Ask them what interests them most, and which ones they are most looking forward to trying out. If there is something that they wanted to do at their old school but didn’t have an opportunity to, then make sure to find out if they will get a chance to do those things in their new school - this could be another way to pique their interest!
5. Communication is key
Finally, we cannot stress enough how important it is to have regular communication with your child about their school life. If they are worried about starting a new school, then it is likely that they are desperate to open up to you about it. Let them know as much as possible that you are open to hearing their concerns. Ask them about school every day, whether it be in the car journey to and from school, at the dinner table, or during a nightly chat before bedtime. You could also send them little messages of confidence throughout the day - you can do this through a text message, a voice note, or even an old-school post-it note hidden within their lunch box. Hearing you say “I’m proud of you” or “You can do this” will mean a lot to your child, and it could turn their entire day around.
As the back-to-school season looms, we’re wishing you and your child the best of luck as you start this new journey together!
