First Day of School Jitters Leeds

By  Supernanny Team 20/07/2007

Whatever your child’s age, that first day at school is a huge milestone and it’s easy for them to become anxious about new routines and social situations. Teaching them the skills they’ll need to cope will boost their confidence and soothe those first-day fears – so follow these tips to make sure they survive and thrive in their new school.

First day at primary school?

Your child may be excited about going to ‘big school’ but it’s a big step up from spending his days at home with you or whiling away the hours playing with his friends at nursery…

Friendship skills

Sharing can be the key to making friends, so get your child used to co-operating with other kids. He also needs to know that he’ll be fine when he’s away from you…

• Focus on the upside Remind him how it makes him feel good when other children let him play with their toys or join in with their games – and that if he does the same thing at school his new classmates will see how kind he is and will want to be friends with him.
• Find a familiar face Ask the school for a class list and arrange some playdates with your child’s new classmates before school starts. He’ll feel much less insecure about being away from you if he sees some familiar faces on his first day.

School rules

Now he’s going to school your child will have to get used to a whole new set of routines…

• Good behaviour Explain that there are some simple rules he needs to follow in class, such as staying in his seat and listening during his lessons without talking. He’ll need to know to raise his hand if he needs to ask his teacher a question, so have practice sessions at home before school starts.

Confidence

Your child may never have been in such a busy environment without you there to take care of him…

• Meet the teacher Staff are usually at school a few days before the semester starts, so arrange a time to pop in and Introduce your child to his new teacher. She’ll be used to dealing with first-day stress and she’ll know exactly what to say and do to put your child at ease.
• Tour the school If there’s a proper open day arranged, try to get there if you can – it’s a good opportunity to walk around and work out easy routes for your child to get to his classroom, the cafeteria or the playground, and find the bathrooms from his classroom.

First day at secondary school?

This brings your child face to face with fresh challenges and new faces.

Meeting and greeting

Teaching your child how to make the first move will help her conquer any nerves she has about her new classmates…

• Find out about the other kids As with junior school, go to the orientation session and set a good example by being sociable yourself. Introduce yourself and your child to the other parents and their kids and ask their names, what they like, whether they’re nervous about their new school.
• Practise breaking the ice Use role-play to practise greetings and gestures that kickstart a convers...

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