Back To School – How to Prepare Young Children

How to Prepare Young Children for Back To School

September is just around the corner and I am sure there are many families, especially mother’s who are starting to worry about their child starting school for the first time. There are other mothers out there such as myself who are worrying about my son starting Grade 1 and his anxiety. There are a vast number of children who have anxiety in new situations; this is very upsetting and overwhelming for the child. While my son is only 6 years of age, many people in our life have told me that there is no way he could suffer from anxiety.

There are other mothers out there such as myself who are worrying about my son starting Grade 1 and his anxiety.

There are a vast number of children who have anxiety in new situations; this is very upsetting and overwhelming for the child.

While my son is only 6 years of age, many people in our life have told me that there is no way he could suffer from anxiety.

Anxiety with Back To School is Common

There are other mothers out there such as myself who are worrying about my son starting Grade 1 and his anxiety. There are a vast number of children who have anxiety in new situations; this is very upsetting and overwhelming for the child.

While my son is only 6 years of age, many people in our life have told me that there is no way he could suffer from anxiety until a medical doctor told us otherwise.

This is a very real and common disorder that children and adults suffer from.

What does anxiety look like, this can be hard to recognize, as it looks different for each person. People can bite their nails, hide or divert from the situation, become very quiet and isolate themselves, hostile, cry, cling to their secure attachment etc.

So, how do you prepare young children to be successful when they are entering school, going to the dentist for the first time, or going to dance, swim class for the first time.

I have become an expert with my son as we go through the motions, you have to find what works best for your child and parents know best. The tools that I will share with you are tools that I often use daily with my son, when it comes to bedtime, leaving the house for any reason and especially when we are going to an extra curricular activity.

The tools that I will share with you are tools that I often use daily with my son, when it comes to bedtime, leaving the house for any reason and especially when we are going to an extra curricular activity.

Here Are My Top Tips to Prep Your Young Child for School

Talk About It

Talk to your child about the upcoming events, a day or two prior to school, extra curricular activity. This will allow your child to ask questions and become more comfortable with the event.

Visit The School

If possible, visit the place or school a few days before the event, when children become familiar in their environment, they become more confident in their surrounds.

The Countdown

I start a count down 15 minutes prior to leaving the house or going to bed etc. This ensures that your child is aware that something is coming. You are not springing something on them by giving them notice. Warnings work very well with young children.

Be Organized & Arrive Early

On the first day of school or starting something new, arrive 15 minutes early. I know this can be difficult as we all have busy lives, however; if you want your child to be successful then you must make the time for your child. This is not about us as parents and having to wait around etc, we need our child to feel confident and comfortable in the surroundings and this technique works. This will allow your child to explore the environment, see other people who are there and how they are acting, focus on what they are doing etc. Your child having visited already may recognize others there or even have met a teacher/instructor. A familiar face can cause almost all of a child’s anxiety to disappear.

Bumps In The Road Are Normal

Ensure that you have the patience for some bumps during the first day. There are times that you may follow all of the above and one day, none of the techniques work. Just be patient and stay confident in your child’s abilities. Reassure your child that they can do it and take them to their class, instructor or teacher and ask them to assist you. Once your child bond’s with another adult or child they become a useful tool, don’t be afraid to use them for help.

The Follow Up

Following your child’s success, praise them for doing a job well done, this will increase their confidence for the next time.

Wishing You All Much Success!!

I wish everyone success in preparing your child for their next big event, I know that we will be starting to talk about Grade 1 soon in our house.