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The idea of your child’s first day of school is an emotional and nervous one for any parent; but that’s nothing compared to how your child must be feeling. Preparing your child for school is about helping them to build their confidence at the same time as building your own; after all, the more excited and confident they are feeling about it, the more relaxed you’re going to feel about the prospect, too. 

Preparing your child for school is important, and here are some of the best ways to do so. 

Fear is often a reaction to the unknown, which means the less you talk about school with your child, the more they are going to fear the idea of it. Constantly talking about school means anxiety levels can be reduced, and a positive and exciting image of school can be built. This includes optimistic ideas, such as telling your child about the new experiences they’re going to have, the new friends they’re going to make, and the new, fun routine they’re going to take part in.

Good preparation isn’t just about emotional wellbeing and comfort. It’s also about ensuring that you have everything in place to get the best out of your child’s education. This includes the requirement for extra tutoring services outside of school, alongside your child’s mainstream classes. This could be to encourage a specific skill that emerges during their time at school or to catch them up with a curriculum if they have had to miss classes due to illness or other reasons. Pre Uni College offers tutoring services to fit your child’s needs.

When choosing the right school, you’ll naturally make plans to visit and take a tour with your child to check whether it’s the right fit. It’s also a good idea to visit the school again a few more times after you’ve chosen it, just to make your child more comfortable with it. This could involve taking a stroll outside and pointing out the playground or practicing your school run by explaining to your child that this will be the drive you will be making every day, and where you will be picking them up. Anything that can make them more accustomed to the building, its location, and routine will be beneficial. 

Your child’s relevant skills aren’t only related to their literacy and numeracy skills. It’s about equipping your child with the abilities needed to take in their new environment and interact with a whole new selection of people. You can do this by encouraging your child to socialize more before they begin attending school, by spending more time with other children, in order for them to develop their communication skills and know what it’s like to be around children of the same age. 

Good preparation is about presenting school as an exciting and positive experience, rather than one to be feared. Spending as much time as possible talking everything through and visiting the school, as well as recognizing and optimizing your child’s skillset, will ensure that both you and your child are well on the way to dealing with this huge change.