Making The Transition from Home to School Smooth and Happy

Anxious about your child’s first day at school? Do you have butterflies in your stomach as you watch your little one all ready to start a new phase in their lives?

As parents, your child’s first day at school is a huge milestone. A day when your little ones start a new chapter in their lives and a day when they start to spread their wings. However, as this day approaches, with it comes a whole lot of apprehensions, questions and fears. While it is normal as parents, for you to have these, what is also important is to understand and believe that your little one will be ok and ready for school. Soon you will look back at these days with a smile wondering how beautifully you managed to transition them from home to school.

We have put together some tips that will help ease this process for you:

STEP 1 -Do your homework

Once you have narrowed down on the right preschool for your little ones and are confident that they will be well looked after and cared for there, half of the battle has been won. Making sure that you build a positive parent and school relationship is an important step in ensuring that your kid is ready for school.

• Research shows that parents and teachers need to share information about the child with each other. This ensures that your kid will grow up to be a confident young adult who is ready to take on the world.
• Provide all information about your little one the day you enroll them itself. This will ensure that the school knows everything about your child and what makes them happy.

STEP 2 – Prepare your little one well ahead

A good way to ensure that your child is ready for school is to make them aware of what will happen there and get them to start talking about school.

• Stories from your school experiences and how much fun you had while at school will go a long way.
• Talk about school as a ‘happy place’. Positive and cheerful thoughts are a great way to make sure they are ready for school.
• Understand them and answer any questions that they may have but try not to overwhelm them with too much information.
• Encourage laughing and giggling. It is such a great way to release any form of anxiety.
• Involve your child in the packing of their lunch boxes and school bags. A bit of excitement around these activities will help them see that school is indeed fun!

STEP 3 – Set up a morning routine well in advance

No one likes to have a rushed day. Setting up a morning routine a week to 10 days before will help your little one ease into the process. After all we don’t want a sleepy and cranky little child on their first day at school, do we?

• Wake up your little one with a lot of time in hand so that you can comfortably get them ready for school with a few minutes to spare as well.
• Get all your information on school timings and bus pickups to avoid any kind of delays on the first day at school.
• Make sure your little one has had a good breakfast. However, it’s best not to overfeed them.

STEP 4 – It’s Showtime!

The day has finally come. Your little one has been fed, her bag is packed and she is excited and ready to go.

• Be calm and make sure you put on a happy face even though you may be anxious about their first day at school. Children are very perceptive about emotions and can easily sense if their parents are worried.
• Give your little one a big, warm hug and a kiss, but do not linger too much on the first day at school. Make sure that you tell your child that you will be leaving them there for some time and that you will pick her up after a while.
• Expect tears when your little one is taken to her class. This is a normal part of the transition process and one that all children go through. However, make sure that you stay strong for your little one.
• Let your child’s teacher take over from you. Watch for cues from the teacher as to when to leave.
• Trust that your little one will be happy in school in a couple of days.

STEP 5 – Create an open and honest environment at home

Once your child has settled in school, it is also equally important to create an environment at home where your child feels comfortable enough to tell you about everything and anything that happens at school. From the friends that they make, to the exciting things that they learn to even the moments where they were not happy, making sure your little one has an open and honest conversation with you, will help build a strong parent and child relationship that will last for years to come.

Settling in is hard and can be quite challenging for both you and your little one. However, do remember that this too shall pass and within a couple of months everything will be back to normal, regular routines would be in place and you would all be glad to put this phase behind you. Till then try to soak in all the new experiences, try and enjoy every moment of it and remember to smile through all the worries and anxieties.