It’s nearly that time of year again. September is just weeks away and the children will be going back to school. Some of them starting school for the first time!!!
In September, I will be sending four out of five of my boys to school. One of my sons, Caelan, will be starting school.
Starting school is a massive milestone in your childs life. The next chapter in their journey through life.
Feeling nervous? It’s Normal…I promise!
I know that there will be thousands of parent out there wondering what they need to do to prepare their child for starting school. No doubt you will be feeling anxious and worrying if your child is ready for starting school, how they will cope and how you will cope! I can reassure you that this is absolutely normal! No doubt your anxieties will be manifested from your own memories of starting school.
Preparing Your Child For Starting School
I’m certainly not an expert but here are some of the things that I find help to prepare your child and yourself for starting school.
Promote Independence
- Promote independence. Give your child confidence that they CAN do things without your help. I know we all want to do everything for our child but when starting school they have to be able to do some basic things for themselves.
- Practice self dressing with your child. Putting on their own clothes, shoes, coat and doing basic fastenings such as zips, velcro and popper buttons.
- Make sure your child can take themselves to the toilet and wash their own hands.
- Make sure your child understands the rules at meal times, such as sitting still, using a knife and folk and not fingers, being able to open food packaging themselves.
- If you’re stuck for ideas of what to put in your child packed lunch check out How To Make A Healthy Packed Lunch Box With FREE Printable
- Your child DOESN’T need to know how to read or write before starting school. The reception year of school is still within the EYFS, which is the framework that OFSTED registered childcare providers, such as nurseries and childminders use to assess children’s development. Therefore the majority of your child’s learning is still play-based. Here’s a Parents guide to your child’s learning and development in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) Ages 0-5. What to expect, when?
- Have mark making equipment such as crayons, pencils, chalks, paper, chalk board etc available for your child to mark make, ‘draw’ and ‘write’ to allow them to gain confidence, give meaning to the marks they make, increase concentration and hand-eye co-ordination skills. All are important skills for starting school.
- Your child doesn’t need to be able to read before starting school. You may do more harm than good teaching your child to read through ‘sight words’ than phonetically. Your child will learn phonics at school which will teach them to read through a phonics programme and will be assessed in Year one through the National Phonics Screening.
- Enjoy books together. This is a great way to spend time together. Books are going to be a massive part of their school life. Take your child to your lo
- Visit your local library or purchase books about starting school, read them together and talk about them. Here’s some I found on Amazon.
- Recommended books FOR STARTING SCHOOL
PIN ME FOR LATER
Other Hints And Tips For Starting School
- Label EVERYTHING! Your child is going to be part of a large group of 30+ children. Majority of them all wearing the same or similar uniform, lunch boxes, water bottles etc. Your child is bound to forget something or pick up someone else’s belongings.
- Check out my review of My NameTags HERE
- Make sure your child recognises their ‘actual’ name, not shortened down versions as school probably won’t use them.
- Buy more uniform than what you need. Your child WILL lose a jumper or cardigan or get dirty through play and being creative.
- Accept that your child will get ill more than you are used to. Remember your child is around a lot more children than they are used to which means a lot more germs. Hold back a few days holiday at work for sick days.
- Be prepared for your child to be tired when they start school. Your child will have been busy exploring their new school environment, making new friends and learning new rules and boundaries.
- Explain that Mums and Dads can’t come into the classroom during school time and that the classroom is only for teachers and children.
- Be prepared to make small talk with all of the other parents of children starting school.
- Be prepared and accept that other parents and families may do things differently from yourselves.
- When your child comes out of school at the end of the day, 9 times out of 10, when you ask them what they have done they will tell you that they have done NOTHING or that they can’t remember!
- 25 Questions to Ask Your Child After School
- Your recycling bin will be overran with all the junk modelling your child brings home from school
One massive bit of advice
I will give you is try not to let your child pick up on your feelings of anxiety about them starting school. Your child will pick up very easily on how you are feeling through your actions and behaviours. Despite your own feelings you need to try and communicate to your child that you have confidence in them as your child will be looking for reassurance from you. I know it will be hard but try not to burst in to tears on the day of your child starting school. Wait until after they have gone into school.
GRAB YOUR FREE STEPS TO ELIMINATE BACK TO SCHOOL ANXIETY
Finally… Enjoy the overall experience of your child starting school. I can honestly tell you that by the Christmas term you and your child will be settled into a school routine and all of the anxiety and worry will be forgotten. You will see a huge change in your childs development and themselves as a person. They will become more independent, be full of confidence, be proud of themselves and their new found skills they have learned at school. Hope you and your child have an amazing time starting school.
It’s amazing to experience!
Do you have a little one starting school this year? Let me know if these Starting School Hints And Tips helped you and your family by leaving me a comment below or a thumbs up.
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All so true! My mids were so excited to start school I didn’t have time to be sad or nervous about it!
#thesatsesh ooooh my!!! I so wish I’d read this last year, we are now in reception and generally its going well – but i love the book idea and hints and tips, fab post twinkle 🙂
Brilliant post! I used to be the school administrator and saw all the struggles of the parents when dropping off their child for the first time. It takes time for all of the family to adjust, but exciting times are ahead!
Really good advice – and so true not to let your anxiety show – kids really do mirror our emotions! #thesatsesh xx
Great advice! My oldest is going into year 3 this year & we have 2 still to start #MMBC
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Your advices are helpful, we truly should help the kid to be ready, not to teach them how to read or write prior to school. I just remembered how I was so nervous on the first day of school.
It’s like heaven going to school today compared to the 60 & 70s when we were scared stiff of the wrath of the nuns.. I’m sure it wasn’t their fault they were always cross ( some of them were not) I think in those times it was the thing for a family to have a nun or priest and a lot of them didn’t really have the true vocation.. Hard times indeed for a child going to school for the first time.
Thanks for the book suggestions! Despite my kids being exposed more and more to phones and tablets, I still encourage them to read books.
Author
I am exactly the same! I’m a massive book lover and encourage my boys to use them where possible
About Starting School Hints And Tips For Parents ,,it is very important for all
Children in high-quality daycare had better language and cognitive development during the first four-and-a-half years of life
Hi Claire! thank you for sharing this insightful article! This will help many moms that finds trouble as to where they’ll enroll their little kiddos. This site will definitely give them new insights! I will share this on my social media accounts.
Excellent Post! The Illustration explained the facts of how both parents and children face the situation before starting of schooling days. I think these are the best advice to follow.
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My sister has been thinking about how she wants to have a bigger hand in her kid’s learning. She would really like to get some ideas for activities that she can do with them that can really help them get better. Thanks for your advice about how she should try to enjoy the experience and not let her kids know that she is anxious.
This is really a great article and a great read for me. It’s my first visit to your blog and I have found it so useful and informative. Thank you
So, Finally my first baby start a school and first day she is very happy after wearing the school boots. I buy a baby shoes online that i linked a site you can also buy latest shoes https://cartfolder.com/best-baby-shoes-for-beginning-walkers/
I was so nervous when my daughter started Grade 1, I was an absolute bucket of nerves. I wasn’t sure if she would settle in ok and if she would have any problems. I prepared her as best I could and she loved her first day of school and settled in so fast. It took longer for me to settle into the new school routine and get over my nerves of my first child starting big school.
It was so much easier with my son, because it was my second child starting school and I was much happier knowing that my daughter was there to look out for him and help him get settled.
I wonder if schools, indpenedent or not, will be opening in the way they usually would in September. As you said in the article, you need to not allow your child to pick up on any emotions you may be feeling, but with the new normal. Will there be emotions we haven’t had to deal with? This September will certainly be different.
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My boy is only four years old now, but I know I’m going to be a complete train wreck once he starts grade 1. Thanks for these useful tips. I’m going to recap on them when the time comes. It is such a rewarding experience to be a parent, but I can be so emotional sometimes. It’s because I have so much love in my heart for this little person. I’m sure you guys can relate. 😉
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These are very useful tips for parents for their kids. Love this amazing reading and informative article. Thank you for sharing it.
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Some great tips there. I remember being so nervous of the first day of school when I was young, so I made sure to prepare my kids for theirs. It can be a stressful experience for them.
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Yes after corona pandemic I was really excited to go back to school. and thanks you so much for sharing content of my interest. I will share it with other pupils and parents.
Thanks for complete guide I will follow your advice in the matter of my child
Thank you for sharing this. I think during the pandemic there are some kids learning programs that can help in reading and that also at home. chilren learning reading program is one of them.
My son started yesterday for kindergarten and the teacher has already lightly complained to me about my sons behavior. She said “he is extremely smart and extremely full of it!” He has high energy compared to the rest of the classroom. He does know how to do these things. Do you have any other videos on how to teach calming and adjustment for the classroom?
This really an appreciative post by you. Thanks for the tips.
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I Loved to Read these types of Blogs.
Perfect timing for this post! Appreciating the time and effort you put into your website and in-depth information you offer. You’ve really covered up almost all the possible info that every parent should follow. Worth sharing! Please do continue sharing updates! Thanks a lot!
What a great piece of article that I found today and I hope all the readers will learnt allot from the lovely reading of this article.. Thanks for your guide-line its very helpful for me to manage with child during starting their schools..
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I totally agree when you said that one must accept that parents and families might have different ways of handling kids. I guess I need to hire a parent coach that could help me out since I feel down about myself as a first-time parent. There is this feeling that I might not be doing enough even if I am already doing my best for my twins since I am a single parent.
This content is very helpful for me, Thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing these great tips! I agree with the point mentioned here that children should be taught independence from a young age. They should be allowed to choose their clothes as it gives them a sense of being independent. I allow my children to select their clothes and for this purpose, I rely on Shoe Strings, which is an online store that offers affordable kids’ clothing. It has been a shop where I can trust to find quality and style at one place.
True. Daycare and preschool play an important role in the child’s upbringing and taking notice of every single thing, whether be it the environment or the faculty we need to be very careful. I opt for Ramie’s happy preschool and it was the best decision I made!! Would definitely recommend it!!
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Such a great idea about the starting school thanks sharing this article and help us information
Interesting Post. Thanks for sharing. I have come across Ithaca Montessori School, they are providing early child education in Nashville.
Great reading and helpful tips. I really like your article. Thank you for sharing it. I have come across Ithaca Montessori School, they are providing Montessori education services in Nashville.
Such a great idea about the starting school thanks sharing this article and helpful information
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What a great piece of article that I found today and I hope all the readers will learnt allot from the lovely reading of this article.. Thanks for your guide-line its very helpful for me to manage with child during starting their schools..
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Great reading and helpful tips. I really like your article. Thank you for sharing it. I have come across Ithaca Montessori School, they are providing Montessori education services in Nashville.
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