Preparing your child for school is exciting! It’s a process that in both you and your little one should inspire confidence – for having the skills necessary to perform tasks and for knowing what to expect of new experiences.
In a sense, this process starts almost from infancy. You provide the essentials to learning as you talk to your baby and teach him to talk, look, listen, and respond; to follow instructions; to learn to wait and take turns; to say what he wants; to feed himself; to change his clothes; and to help himself at toilet.
These learning essentials help your child feel confident and self-assured. They prepare your little one for school by equipping him with skills he can use when you are not around to assist him.
So what exactly should a parent aim for when preparing a child for school? Let’s start with the negatives. Getting your little darling ready is not synonymous to making sure that he is ahead of the pack in academics. Neither does it mean teaching him to hit back as a means of standing up for himself. It’s not about having the best school materials and expensive branded clothes either. Nor does it mean telling him not to cry when he is anxious or afraid.
It means cultivating in your child a positive attitude toward school, so that he will look forward to it and enjoy it.
It means ensuring that he will be able to relate well with teachers and peers. The aim is to equip your child with a measure of independence, with emotional and practical tools to cope without you.
Make sure that he understands what will happen. Answer his questions without being evasive or overly dramatic. It also involves getting to know your child’s teacher and, if your child has special needs and problems, informing her of these before classes start.
Set the stage by creating opportunities to discuss the experience in a positive and enjoyable way. Never use school or the teacher as a threat. Remember that a child who sees school in a positive way is more likely to reach his full potential with ease.
Then there’s you: Preparing your child for school also means setting aside your own separation anxieties. Learn to let go as your child enters this next stage of his life.
Tag:Kid Starts School|
