Starting school is a significant moment in practically every child’s development. To make a successful transition to school, your kid will need a variety of emotional, physical, and social abilities, as well as cognitive and linguistic skills that will help them to comprehend expectations and interact with a variety of others.
Mums, fathers, and other caregivers play a critical part in preparing a kid for a pleasant and successful transition to school life.
If you are a parent whose kids are specially-abled, you need to invest a lot of time and energy in finding the best educational institutions for them. Sending them to a normal school might not be the best option.
This is why you need to explore institutions that offer inclusive education in Singapore. Here, the teachers and other staff members are trained to be more patient, caring, and understanding about the requirements of special children. Here is how to help your child adjust to starting school.
Talk About It
This may seem self-evident, but the power of narrative to empower and reassure can never be underestimated. Discuss the day ahead, what you’ll do to prepare, how your kid will go to school, what they’ll do there, and how the school day will finish — but also what will happen when they come home.
Read books about going to school together. Be upbeat and encouraging, but don’t exaggerate your enthusiasm for school or make promises you can’t keep (like making new friends). If your child’s first school experience falls short of his expectations, the school may already appear frightening, rather than thrilling.
Calm Your Child’s Fears
Kids are “programmed” to seek reassurance from their parents about what is and is not dangerous. So, although you’re empathizing with your child’s worries, make sure you’re also reassuring them that they’ll be secure and happy at school. Explain that being nervous about a new circumstance is entirely “natural,” but that they can trust the teacher to look after them.
Offer your own encouraging school anecdotes and reassurance that they’ll soon feel at ease. The folks at Mommyhood101 highlight that the way you communicate with your children while they’re young will influence how they process and talk about their own life, including their experiences and emotions, as they grow older.
Point out that people who love one another don’t want to be apart, but they’ll have a good time, you’ll be OK, the school will always be able to reach you, and your love will always be with them even if you aren’t.
Visit School Together
You should definitely make plans to take your child to their new school before their first day. Induction visits are held at certain schools for children to meet their new friends and spend time in the classroom. If they don’t, request to take a tour with your child.
The classroom, bathroom, front office, gym, library, and playground will all be visible to you. This will make school familiar to them on their first day. Walking or driving by the school at the end of the day and seeing the students emerge in uniform may also be thrilling!
Do Shopping Together
There’s nothing like choosing a new lunchbox or backpack, a couple of clothes, or some new shoes to get your kid excited about beginning school. Choose a school backpack that is easy to carry for your youngster. The finest backpack is one with adjustable straps.
Make sure your child’s name is clearly written on all clothes and other items, and choose a lunch box and drink bottle with an easy-to-open cover. To make them especially special, all of the items should be set away and utilized just when school begins.
Teach Them Self-Care
If your child can learn fundamental self-care skills before starting school, it will make life simpler for them (and for the teachers). Encourage your youngster to feel confident going to the bathroom on time and wiping correctly with toilet paper rather than wet wipes.
If your family uses a different term at home for going to the bathroom, informing the class teachers will guarantee that they understand what your child is trying to ask. Allow your kid to practice preparing for PE classes, hanging their coat, clearing the table, putting their toys away, and so on, in order to prepare them for doing so at school.
Self-Calming Strategies
When you are not available to help them, your children need to know how to calm themselves correctly. Use age-appropriate, calming activities such as squeezing a stress ball, petting a soft toy, drinking a glass of water, or learning to wipe their eyes with a tissue. It’s also a good idea to talk to the new teacher about your child’s favorite calming activities.
While some children adjust to school life quickly, others take longer. When children first start school, it’s common for their behavior at home to shift. Don’t be shocked if your child becomes more attached or argumentative, but do everything you can to help them adjust before school starts. Hopefully, some of these suggestions have clarified what you should do.