School Time
It’s approaching the summer months and your little one might be getting ready to join pre-school or Primary School in September.
Both can be a scary moment for a child, but handled properly, it could be an exciting memory for them and something they look forward to.
So how can you try to prepare them?
If it’s for pre-school here’s some tips.
• If your child is an only child, get socialising. Start organising play dates and attending play groups with children of similar ages. They can learn how to share, take turns and interact with a big group of children so they won’t feel so overwhelmed.
• Encourage your child to be independent. Get them to help with setting the table for dinner, pass out snacks to the family, tidy up their toys etc
• Have a babysitter or friend look after them for a few hours. Start building up separation so your child will hopefully go off happier.
• Ensure they can do self-help. Wash their hands, go to the toilet, eat a snack alone etc
• Start working towards the pre-school routine. Keep them active and alert now so they won’t be bewildered when they start the busy environment. If they are still napping in the morning, discuss this with the pre-school as they might need to accommodate this.
• Practice on wooden puzzle sets to help concentration.
Starting Primary School takes a bit more work.
• Increase their independence and self-care. They should know how to dress themselves, get their coats, on and off, be able to eat with a knife, fork and spoon and go to the toilet without help.
• Develop their speaking and listening skills. Ensure they don’t interrupt you and practice quiet time when they are often asked to sit quietly while a story is read to them. At dinner time, encourage family discussions, taking turns to listen and to speak.
• Help them recognise their own name. This will help them find their coat peg and drawer.
• Chat about school in a positive manner. Make sure they don’t hear stories from adults about how much they hated school or they hated a teacher/ subject. Keep it light and fun. Talk about all the new friends they could meet. The fun of reading time. And lunchtimes.
Make sure you keep some things familiar for them.
Teddy could meet them from pre-school. They could ride their bike to and from school. All these little things help to make this a more fun and relaxed time for them.
Good luck! 🐝