The first day of school is a wonderful milestone for both parents and children. However, the change in routine, entering a new environment, meeting new people, and spending a considerable amount of time away from parents, can be overwhelming for some children. 

We are happy to share with you a few tips on how to combat your child’s separation anxiety, how to encourage your child to trust their new teacher, and how to practice the new schooling.

1. Talk to your child about school

The most important yet most overlooked way to ease your child into the concept of school is to tell stories about your experience in school. 

You can begin by highlighting all the positive things you found in school. For example, tell stories about the wonderful friends you meet and keep for life. Tell funny stories about your teachers. If you still have them, share a photo album of your schooling years!

School should feel no different to your child than going to Sunday school. Explain to your child that they’ll spend time with new friends and listening to a teacher in front of the class, singing songs, making crafts, and playing various different fun games – but Mom and Dad can’t join, and please make up a good reason for this!

2. Visit the school grounds together

To ease separation anxiety further, and to begin fostering trust between your child and their new teacher, it’s often a good idea to visit the school before the first day of school.

Meet with the teacher, and let them talk to one another. Take a look at the inside of the classroom, and let your child familiarize with the sights – the artwork, pictures, colors, toys, the desk, and chair. Then explore the playground together, and get them excited to play with the toys. 

This exercise should help your child to trust the new environment and the teacher who will spend a lot of time with them.

3. Practice the new routine

The new routine will also seem foreign to your child. They’ll need to do everything on schedule – wake up on time, get ready on time, and have breakfast on time. 

This is also a very important milestone for your child. For the first time in their life, they need to follow a schedule. This is an important skill that your child will bring for the rest of their life. If they don’t practice before the first day of school, it may be quite shocking for them.

We recommend that you spend at least one week before the first day of school to encourage your child to at least sleep and wake up at a regular time. 

About Kindergarten at IPEKA

Our experienced kindergarten teachers can assist you in making the transition easier for your child, and to begin their most important steps in their schooling journey. Learn more about life in the kindergarten and elementary class at IPEKA.