The start of the school year can sometimes cause stress and anxiety for students and parents alike, especially if it’s the first time a little one is attending school.
As the day looms closer a child may start to feel a little nervous about becoming a fully-fledged, uniform-wearing student.
Ease into the new school year with these five tips to combat anxiety and stress for the whole family.
1. Normalise those feelings of nervousness and talk freely and regularly about starting school.
Make school a dinner-time subject and encourage kids to talk about their feelings.
2. Make preparation for school fun.
Have an expedition to the shops to buy their school stuff like stationery, socks, shoes and pencil cases. Build up the excitement of getting to use and wear it all.
3. Do a dry run.
If they’re a bit concerned about the whole process, organise a school day where they get up in the morning, put on their uniform, pack their bags and walk or drive to where school is.
4. Eat a packed lunch at home.
Some kids worry about accessing their lunches, or maybe aren’t used to bringing lunch from home.
Help them write a list of what they might like in their lunch box, and have a couple of “packed lunch” days beforehand.
5. Organise a play date.
If you know of other children who will be starting with your child, arrange for them to play a couple times before they start school.
Kids will appreciate seeing a familiar face in the school yard that first morning.
