5 Top Tips for your Child Starting School
If your little one is starting school in the next couple of weeks, I know how anxious it can be for them and for you! I’ve put together a few tips that will hopefully be helpful to you if you have a child starting school this year.
- Don’t underestimate how tired they will find that first term.
When my oldest started school, I had planned an after school club on the Friday but he never got there. I had to cancel it by Wednesday because he was so tired. He was coming home from school so exhausted that he was asleep by 5pm! I know that every school has different ways of settling the children in. My children started from full time hours from the first week, although I know other schools will settle the children in over six weeks or so. So, whenever they start to go to school for the whole school day, help them to take it easy and try not to plan too much for them.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
- Join the Facebook group for your child’s class or year group
I can’t tell how useful it is to be part of a Facebook group for the class or year group. Not only is it a great way to be able to get to know other parents but being able to arrange a get together out of school so you can have park meet ups, help your children make friends and you can put names to faces when your children come home chatting about their day. It is also a great way to recover lost property. I can’t tell you how many times my kids have come home with the wrong PE top, jumper or even shoes and putting a quick message out on the Facebook group has always sorted it out quicker than bothering the teachers with it!
Photo by Timothy Hales Bennett on Unsplash
- Skills they need to know before they start school.
I always read that making sure your child has learned some simple skills such as being able to dress and go to the toilet by themselves and being able to use cutlery is important. It is very useful advice but I would say at this point, if your child is about to start school and they can’t do these things, it’s not something I would overly stress over. I have two children and when my oldest was starting school, I was so worried that he couldn’t do these things. My daughter on the other hand, could do all of these skills easily. Every child is different and I know that if a child can do these things by themselves it will not only make their lives easier but also the teachers day much easier too. However, if they can’t do them, please don’t worry. Those skills will come in their own time. Schools can support children if they struggle and being in the company of the other children can really help them so they can follow the others and copy.
- Getting involved in school life
I’ve always enjoyed getting involved in the school and the PTA. The PTA raises money for the school for resources and equipment that the school often struggles to afford. The PTA are often just parent and teacher volunteers and I think it’s always the case that there are never enough people signing up to help. In the last couple of years, it’s been very hard to run enough fundraising events to keep the money coming in. I know that everyone is so busy but if you can find a way to take part, it really does help. There won’t just be times to help with the PTA, before COVID, our school would ask for volunteers to be parent readers or even helping out with Christmas Craft Day or school trips. The kids love seeing their parents, carers and grandparents in school, it’s such a novelty!
Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash
5. Name EVERYTHING!
It doesn’t matter how you do this, you could be sewing in name labels, sticking them in or just using a sharpie on the label, just make sure everything is named; shirts, trousers, jumpers, hats, gloves, scarves, coats, shoes, bags, everything! I’m not promising that your child won’t ever lose anything, it just means that it’s much more likely to come back to you!
These are some fab name label stamps from British Stampmaker, you can check them out here.
Of course, one way of naming your child’s school book bag is with a personalised book bag handle wrap that I sell here!
I hope these tips have been helpful. When your child starts school, it’s such a big step and believe me, it all goes so quickly. My kids are starting Year 8 and Year 5 this year. It really doesn’t seem that long ago that they were in Reception and just starting!