If you’ve got kids starting school for the first time or returning to school after the long break, you will know how emotions can run high as the countdown starts.
Here, primary school teacher, Miss B and popular TikTok teacher, Lil’ Miss Sunshinee, shares her top tips for parents to help settle nerves for a smooth start this back-to-school time.
Positive vibes – back to school time can be full of mixed emotions. Returning or starting school leaves many children with unanswered questions; “Who will my teacher be?” “Who will be in my class?” Have a conversation with your child, listen to their worries and respond in a calm and supportive manner to help them navigate this transitional time.
Remind them of the positives! They will be able to play with their friends again, see their teachers and learn new things.
Read all about it – reading is a great way to share time with your child, spark their imagination and maintain routine.
Reading books about going back to or starting school can help relieve some of those first day jitters.
Not only can the story provide your child with a sense of what the transition may be like, they can also get a boost of confidence as the story unfolds.
Reading these books can offer an opportunity for your child to share their feelings.
Set goals – goal setting is a big part of learning.
Encourage your child to set some goals to help them get into the right frame of mind for school.
They can be academic or social goals, or a new habit, such as packing their schoolbag before bed every night.
This could even be a great time for the whole family to set some goals.
You can cheer each other on and celebrate everyone’s wins.
Have some fun! – children are quick to pick up on our attitudes towards things, so creating a positive energy towards the back-to-school lead up can help.
Build anticipation by going shopping together and buying school supplies.
They can pick out their lunchbox and pencil case and fill it with a fabulous collection of pens and markers. (I personally love Pilot Frixionas they’re erasable and so help kids build confidence by fixing their mistakes.)
Ease into routine – it can be helpful to start waking up earlier little by little in the days leading up to the first day back.
Getting back into a bedtime routine can also help.
For some families this may be enforcing a ‘no electronics’ rule the hour before bedtime or having dinner a little earlier.
Get organised – the first back-to-school morning might be a whirlwind for the whole family.
Back to waking up early, packing lunches, organising uniforms and making sure you get everyone to where they need to be.
The more organised you can be, the easier the first back-to-school morning will be.
Planning the morning routine may be a whole family affair so ensure you are all on the same page.
This might include figuring out what time you need to wake up, sharing responsibilities such as breakfast and packing lunches and laying out your child’s uniform the night before.
