The first day of school is an important milestone in your child’s life. Their entry into the world of adults can be experienced in different ways: as excitement, heartbreak or upheaval for both parents and children.
To prevent your first day of kindergarten from starting with cries and tears, here are 6 tips for preparing for your first school year.
1. Visit the school
Visiting the nursery school is an essential step to reassure the child and help them get their bearings for a peaceful return to school. Generally, schools open their doors to future students when the child registers or before the summer. On this occasion, the child, accompanied by his parents, discovers his class, meets his teacher, and gets to know his future classmates. From now on, school is no longer an imaginary and unknown place, but a very real and pleasant place. Do not hesitate to return to the school once or twice before the start of the school year to get them used to it.
2. Talk about school with your child
To help your child prepare for their future school life, it is important to discuss with them what awaits them at school. Describe to him what a typical day will look like, explain to him what the school rules are and the constraints to respect (staying seated in class, raising your finger to speak, listening, etc.). Share your positive memories with him, talk about your favorite moments, everything you learned, etc. You can also read him some books on the theme to reassure him more. Finally, circle the date on the calendar and count together the days remaining before the start of school.
3. Prepare your things together
Let your child choose their back-to-school outfit as well as their backpack in which they can store their things. This way, he will be proud to go to school with the clothes and bag he has chosen. Then, prepare with him the things he will need for school:
- a change of clothes: bring a complete change of clothing in case of small accidents;
- his cuddly toy: don’t forget his cuddly toy which will console him if he cries and will accompany him during naps;
- tissues: always very practical for drying tears and runny noses, wiping hands, etc.
- his snack: if it is not provided by the school.
4. Mark all his things
Consider marking your child’s belongings to allow them to easily recognize them and thus prevent them from losing them. Named school labels are essential. Self-adhesive, sewing or iron-on, they can be easily placed on your child’s clothes and all objects (soft toy, backpack, slippers, etc.).
5. Reassure your child
The start of the school year is an important stage and your child will feel varied emotions (excitement, fear, anxiety, stress, joy, etc.). A few days before school starts, his behavior will certainly change, and he may be more capricious or difficult. Do not get mad. Take his different emotions into account and reassure him. Strengthen his self-confidence by telling him that you are proud of him and that he is going to grow up, make lots of friends, and learn new things.
6. D-day
And there you have it, the big day has arrived! As parents too, this moment of separation can be difficult to live with because your baby is growing up, reaching a milestone, and becoming a little more independent. However, be careful not to let anything show. If your child senses your stress, worry, or sadness, he or she may absorb it and start crying. He will then have more difficulty enjoying his first day of school with enthusiasm.
For this first day, don’t linger too long. After the kiss and the hug, you can leave in peace. Trust the teachers and staff, they are perfectly used to handling this kind of situation.
