Preparing For School

Summer has begun (or almost) but before you know it, a whole new school year will just be about to start again. During the two-month summer, as a parent you have the opportunity to prepare your little one for school. I don't mean nursery, but actual school where you leave your child the whole day in the hands of teachers.

Going to school for the first time is going to be a big moment for both the parent and the child. Either one or both might develop mixed emotions about being away from each other. Or, who knows, they might feel excited to meet new people. No child or parent is ever completely ready for this crucial event, but we all have to go through it.

Preparation is one of the best ways to cope with - or even preclude - anxiety. It helps sending your child off to pre-school to see how he or she behaves being around other children. What's important is to put the child in a favorable environment for intellectual and psychosocial development.

Being around other children. There is no better introduction than getting your child used to the idea of being around other children as opposed to getting the shock of his/her life on the first day of school. Interaction with other children serves as an excellent preparation, for it enables the child to understand how other children behave. It develops social skills in the child, enabling the little one to deal with other people around. To put the child around other kids of the same age - go to a play center, let the child hang around with a neighbor's little kids, enroll the child in a playschool etc.

Give your child some chores. This is the simplest way ever! Teach your child to put his toys away, to clean up after eating by taking the dirty dishes to the sink or dishwasher, or any other simple things that he can carry on as he grows. This will definitely encourage your child to be more orderly at home as well as in school.

Pack lunch for your child. Pick out a nice little lunch case you think your child might like and show your little one how to open, unpack, eat and repack the excess or whatever is reusable, and how to throw waste properly. Good food such as bread, fruit and milk or a full meal of any type of carbohydrates, vegetables and proteins is most preferable. Discourage junk food for your child as it is likely to diminish his appetite for a good meal.

Introduce your child to names that he will easily remember.  This is purely for familiarization; a training for him to remember the names of his teachers and classmates.

Manners. Once at school, the child will be around others who have different personalities. But a child who has good manners will find it easier to fit in. Train your child to say "please," "thank you," and "I'm sorry."

Offer choices. This will exercise your child's ability to decide and make his her own decisions. After all, your little one is growing up and needs to learn how to be independent.

(Helpful Resource: Pregnancy and Childcare by Jenny King)

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