It’s the first day of school for your precious little one. She clings on to you as you both step into her kindergarten. Her eyes overflow with tears as she starts to sob loudly.

Sigh! So much drama on the first day at school … So, how do you handle your darling’s anxiety attacks as he steps into a new world? Have no fear. HealthToday is here to guide you and your little one through one of life’s most challenging experiences.

Start early

It’s good to teach your child skills she needs in everyday life like learning to use the toilet, washing and dressing herself, and keeping herself safe from danger.

Experts say you can start teaching your child the skills of everyday life from 6 months onwards. However, it’s good to wait until your child is ready to learn a new skill.

Your child may be successful at learning a new skill at first but she may go back to letting you do everything for her. For example, she might learn how to eat with a spoon quickly but she might still wants you to feed her especially when she’s tired. Just accept that children take time to change and adapt to new ways. Your patience is important for your child to progress.

Praise your child when she does something right. Smile, hug and kiss her to show how much you appreciate her right actions. When she does something wrong, gently correct and guide her.

Preparing for school

Learning skills for everyday life will boost your child’s confidence so she looks forward to starting school and is ready to learn.

As a parent, you can help your child prepare for school by getting her ready for her new routine. Here are some tips for starters:

• Switch her meal times to match those of the school day.
• Bring your child out and encourage her to explore new environments and socialize with new people.
• Buy your child’s school uniform at least 1 month before school starts and let her practice putting it on and taking it off.
• When you go to the school to buy books or for other purposes, bring your child along and let her get familiar with the environment.

The big day is here!

On the first day of school, try to create some excitement for your child. If you’re working, be sure to take the day off. Prepare a special meal that your child loves. Tell your child that you are proud of her – being a big girl going to school by the school bus.

Let her put on the school uniform, socks and shoes and help her along the way. Do remember to take a photo of her and a selfie of the two of you for remembrance sake. She will then feel the importance of the day.

Here are some tips to help your child adapt to life in school:

• Help your child make friends with her classmates.
• Explain that she will be learning new things in school and everyday is a new day.
• Come up with a rewards system with little gifts like a pencil or eraser to encourage your child to go to school.
• Most importantly, help your child with her homework.

Soon, your child will find school a real interesting place where she will have adventures of her own. All the best!

My child won’t stop crying!

Crying before going to school or even at school is common among children who have not yet adjusted to their new routine. Here are some things you can do to calm their emotions.

• Firstly, is your child really suffering from tummy ache and other complaints? It does not hurt to send her to a doctor if your instincts tell you that something is wrong.
• Don’t let your child delay your efforts to send her to school. Instead, calmly hand her off to his teacher, give her a goodbye kiss and assure her that you will come to pick her up when school is over.
• Pick her up from school on time, as her anxieties may only increase if you are late.
• Stay in contact with her teacher so that you can find out whether there is anything in class that is affecting your child’s ability to adjust to school.

References:

1. Being school-ready. Available at www.pacey.org.uk 2. NHS. Available at www.nhs.uk 3. Parents.com. Available at www.parents.com

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