Transitioning to the School Year: 10 Tips to Best Prepare our Children

Another summer is winding down, and our focus is now on the start of the school year.  This can be accompanied by some anxieties (for both you AND your child). So how can we best prepare our children for the upcoming year?  Here are 10 tips that will help us through the adjustment of a fun, playful summer to a more regimented school schedule.

1. Ensure that your child is familiar with the school.  For me, this meant trying to meet up with moms and children that would be in my daughter’s class and playing at the school playground.  Letting her explore the physical grounds of the school, prior to her first day of Kindergarten. This definitely got her excited and curious about where she was about to attend.  Even better, attend any orientation with your child and try to get inside the school (if there is not an orientation or you couldn’t make it, try to see if you can make an appointment to see the school).  The more familiar they are with their new setting, the more comfortable they will be on their first day.
2. Talk often about school, specifically your child’s teacher by name.  If you are able to meet the teacher in advance, fantastic.  If not (as this is not always easy), perhaps you can find a photo of the teacher, so your child can look at it and start creating a bond.
3. If it is a new school, meeting up with other children in their class in the weeks leading up to the school year can be tremendously helpful in putting them at ease and creating excitement for the days ahead.  If you’re able to walk together with another friend of theirs on that first day, that would definitely help.
4. Prior to that first day we read books about Kindergarten, so some of her fears would be answered.  Clifford Goes to Kindergarten was her favorite.  My thought is that the more they read and become familiar, the less it remains a “mystery” and the easier the transition.
5. Goodbyes are the hardest. The first day of kindergarten there were MANY tears (OK, by me too after I walked away). In my daughter’s preschool they made “worry dolls” that they could hold onto if they were nervous or worried about something (the thought is that the doll will help take their worries away).  This comforted her, and she kept it in her backpack (all year)! We also kissed both of her hands when we dropped her off at school each day and told her mommy and daddy’s kisses would stay with her all day and reassure that we love her (this idea taken from our favorite book, The Kissing Hand).
6. Summers often mean later nights and going off-schedule.  A couple weeks prior to school, transition your child to an earlier bedtime so they can be bright and cheery when they wake up in the morning.  It’s hard enough getting kids out in the early AM, but a an overtired, cranky child is the absolute worst.
7. Get your child involved in the purchasing of school supplies - whether that’s picking out their favorite backpack or folder, this will help create enthusiasm around the new school year and they are more apt to take care of their belongings if they truly love them.   Let them pack their bag, and include a momento from home to help them feel connected and secure.
8. Talk about feelings and validate their feelings.  Wrapping your head around any anxieties or worries can help you work towards a solution and find ways to work through those feelings.  
9. If you can, try to get involved in school events and tell your little one about it.  Your child will be SO excited that mommy or daddy is volunteering at a school event, and the support and enthusiasm this shows is incredibly important to them.  
   
10. On that first day (if your child can read), leave a special note in their lunchbox that tells them just how proud you are and that you are thinking of them.  Or, if your child is not at reading level yet - how about making a drawing of the 2 of you together? ​