Getting your child ready to start school for the first time isn't just about having the right supplies, they also need to be emotionally prepared. Reading and having conversations about school is a great way to make it real for them. It allows them to hear vocabulary related school, it mentally prepares them, and when it comes to being dropped off on those first days, they will start to concretely understand the things they heard and saw with you at home.
Here are the 3 most needed conversations to have with your child who is getting ready to start school in the coming weeks:
1. Expectations
In this conversation, you want to not only share with them in age appropriate language what is expected of them in their own school journey (i.e. having a good night sleep, picking out an outfit, eating a healthy breakfast, helping you pack their lunch, etc.), but you want to talk about what is expected of them at school and what they will be encountering for the first time.
Find ways that they can get involved in the getting ready for school routine and discuss what each one will look like. A printed visual schedule with pictures demonstrating the morning routine to get out the door will help. Mornings can be a struggle, especially with a resistant toddler, but if your child has a visual aid or has heard about the routine it will ease the chaos levels when you can refer back to it. Prepare them by saying things like, "Right now we are eating breakfast, next we will put our shoes on, and after that we will grab our backpack and lunchbox."
When you talk about what is expected at school, it is helpful if you have some supporting information from their teacher or from school communication. If your school has a "Meet the Teacher" night, this is another great touch point, but those usually don't come until right before school starts. Right now, you can talk about the things you know about the school. You know there will be learning, friends, recess, lunchtime, etc. Think about what you imagine for your child during these times. An example, talk about sitting at a table with friends eating lunch and how that mirrors how you sit at a table together during mealtimes.
Lastly, one of the most important discussions to have to reduce any first day/week of school jitters will be to continually talk about all the new things they will experience. Books are a great resource for this conversation because it associates an image with an unfamiliar term. If taking a tour of the school with your child is possible, I highly suggest it. Additionally, if your school has any links or videos to watch (not all schools do), this might be a great time to implement some screen time to show them what it looks like at their own school.
2. Feelings
This is a big one! The hardest part about starting school is navigating all of the feelings they have about it. My son was both scared to go to school and sad to leave almost every day. Those big emotions are a lot to unpack and having conversations ahead of time about the emotions they experience will be helpful. Depending on their age, they may not be able to yet identify feelings, but you can talk to them in an age appropriate context.
3. Fun
What better way to get your child excited about school than to talk about all the fun they are going to have! After all, at their age, that's what school is and should be! They will be meeting new friends, other adults who care about them, playing with new toys, & learning new things! All of this is so exciting!
You want to put the emphasis on the fun and not the worry. It's so important to address the feelings they have related to separation anxiety. We do not want to invalidate that experience, but you can emphasize the fun to quell any potential feelings of worry. Use the weeks leading up to school to get your child excited about every new experience and opportunity.
After all, "a big new change can be so neat!" - Cocomelon
Tip: Try to find times when they are calm and seated to start to have these conversations. I usually prefer the morning during breakfast when my son is most attentive. Then I reinforce that same conversation at different touch points.
Comments
Post a Comment