Prep for Parents: The First Weeks of School!

8 February 2012

How your child reacts to starting school will depend on their personality, their background and how prepared they are for this next big step in their lives.

By now they'll probably be responding to school in a variety of ways – they might be really excited and looking forward to going to school each day. They may be showing signs of not wanting to go or taking school as just a part of their daily routine. Or they may go through all of these reactions depending on how they feel on any particular day.

Most children will be experiencing some change – after all they’ll be learning, playing and interacting with new people and getting used to a whole new environment – it will take them some time to settle in.

Some things you can do to help your child adjust to school include:

• Ensure they have a healthy breakfast – this is important for energy to get through the day.
• Aim to get out of the house on time in a calm, relaxed manner to set up a positive tone for their day. To help you achieve this, try giving your child some simple tasks like putting the cereal or fruit for breakfast on the table or collecting their hat, sunscreen and drink bottle and putting them into their school bag. Don't worry if they are slow or make mistakes with these tasks at first. They will get the hang of it, and it'll be one less thing you'll have to do.
• Make time to chat to your child about what they did at school that day. This will give you a good idea of what they enjoy doing and how they are getting on in their new environment. Remember, your child's emotional reaction to going to school may vary a lot, especially during the first few weeks.
• Develop a bedtime routine so your child can wind down at the end of the day and get a good night's sleep – children aged five need around 10 to 11 hours sleep a night.
• Try not to put too many expectations on yourself or your child; if they are happy and enjoying school, that’s a real achievement.

You know your child best. If you have any questions about how they are settling in at school, contact your child’s teacher so you can talk things through together. You can contact your child's teacher in person, over the telephone or via email, whichever suits you and your situation best.

Related links

• School Life – From attendance to uniforms - what to expect attending a government school
• School age (5-8 years) – the Raising Children Network guide to the early school years.

 

Share your stories

This is an exciting and challenging time for both you and your child – and we'd love to hear about your experiences. Tell us in 200 to 250 words something about your child, your own experiences, or a handy hint you've discovered and we'll publish a selection here. Email your story to online.comms.unit before 9.30am Monday in time for publication on Wednesday.

Need some inspiration...

On what to give your child for lunch tomorrow? See: Better Health Channel’s Lunch box tips

Next week

Next week we’ll explore some of what your child is learning at school.