10 tips to prepare for the first day of school

If you’re feeling nervous about your child starting school, there are some easy things you can do to prepare for the first day of school, that will make the transition easier for everyone.

Here are 10 tips to make starting school easier, so both you and your child are less anxious about this next stage of their life.

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Talk to your child about starting school

Talking to your child about starting school can happen as soon as you know what school your child will be going to, or when you’ve found out what school your child will be starting if you’ve decided to change schools mid-year.

Some ways you can talk to your child about starting school are:

• Telling them the name of their new school
• Looking at photos of the school, and the school uniform on the school’s website
• Telling them what date they’ll be starting, their teacher’s name, and their class name

Discuss any feelings associated with starting school

As well as telling your child how fun school will be, reassure them that it’s totally ok if they feel nervous, scared, or unsure about what starting school will be like.

You can also ask them to tell you how they feel about it, including any concerns they have about making friends, what their teacher will be like, and what they’ll learn or do during the school day.

Discussing their feelings with them, and reminding them that that their teacher is there to help them, will go a long way towards alleviating any worries they may have.

Visit the school before your child starts

Familiarising your child with their new school before they start is a great way to get them excited about starting school.

You can do this by contacting the school to see if they hold any open days before school starts, so you can walk your child around the school.

If they don’t, drive to the school as often as you can so your child becomes familiar with it, which is also a great way to practice the school run, which will make the school run easier when it’s time to actually do it.

Read books about starting school

A great way to overcome first day of school nerves is to read your child books about starting school, so they can see how characters tackle their first day, make friends, deal with their feelings, and even what they’ll learn.

When you’ve finished reading a book about starting school, ask your child if they have any questions, if they’d like to re-read a certain page, or have something explained in more detail.

Some of my boy’s favourite books about starting school that you may like to read to your kid’s before they start school include:

• The Colour Monster Goes to School
• Starting School
• Why Do I Have to go to School?
• Charlie and Lola: I Am Too Absolutely Small For School

Encourage independence

A great way to prepare for the first day of school is to encourage independence in your child, by getting them to practice putting their school shoes on, getting dressed, packing their school bag, eating and drinking on their own, going to the toilet and washing their hands, and blowing their nose.

Don’t worry if your child struggles with any of these things, they can always get extra help from their teacher if needed.

Get into a routine

Routines for kids are a great way for them to know what’s expected of them, and what time things need to be done by, which is something they’ll benefit from when starting school.

Additionally, getting into a routine before they start school will help them to adjust to having to do things a certain way.

Some things that you can do as part of a getting ready for school routine before your child’s first day are:

• Go to bed the same time each night
• Wake up at the time they need to be up for a school day
• Eat at the same time they would if at school
• Do some reading or educational activities during the day

Things to practice for school readiness

Here are some things you may like to practice with your child so they’re confident to do them at school:

• Listening to instructions
• Discussing things they’ve seen or read
• Recognising their name
• Recognising numbers up to 10
• Holding and cutting with scissors
• Practicing threading and picking things up with tweezers
• Going to the toilet and washing their hands on their own
• Putting their shoes on
• Using a knife and fork
• Learning how to be helpful and kind to others

There’s no pressure to practice these things, and there’s no need for your child to be able to independently do all of them, but practicing them if you feel the need to, may make them feel more confident doing them when they’re at school.

It’s also worth remembering that all children have different skills when they start school, and that there can be up to a year’s age difference between kids in their first year of school.

My oldest son was only just 4 when he started school, and there were kids that were already 5, or about to be 5, so the skill differences between all the children were vast.

However, all children eventually catch up with each other, but if you ever have any concerns about your child’s skill levels you can talk to their teacher for some reassurance.

Get school supplies and uniform early

As soon as you know what school your child will be attending, go on the school’s website, or contact the school, and ask for a supplies and uniform list.

Once you have these, get the items on them as soon as possible, because not only is this a great way to get organised for back to school, it also lessens any stress associated with missing out on anything that you need due to it being sold out.

Some school supplies that you may need include:

• School bag
• Pencil case
• Crayons
• Erasers
• Pencil sharpener
• Child‑safe scissors
• Lunch box
• Water bottle
• Name labels to label school supplies

You may even want to start researching some school lunch ideas or school snack ideas, so you’re ready to tackle school lunches when the time comes.

Don’t let your child see your nerves

This may be hard, especially if it’s your first or last child starting school, but don’t let your child see that you’re nervous, sad, or worried about their first day, because it may make them feel the same way.

Instead, be upbeat, say goodbye confidently, and once you’re at home make time for alone time so you can take some time to get used to your child being away.

First day of school tips

On your child’s first day of school make it as relaxed as possible, which you can do by:

• Waking up early to make sure everything’s ready, and so you can take a first day of school photo
• Getting to school early so you can get your child settled in
• Staying calm even if you’re a nervous wreck, as the calmer you are, the calmer your child will be
• Making sure your child’s okay before you leave
• Not being late for pick up, and taking a snack with you
• Planning something special to do with them after school, which may even become an after school tradition, so they can unwind after their big day

Preparing for your child’s first day of school – a recap

Your child’s first day of school is a big milestone for you and your child, so making it as easy a transition as possible, will make the day enjoyable for all.

Some of the things you can do to prepare for your child’s first day of school is to talk to them about their new school, ask them how they feel about starting school, and visit the school before they start so they’re as comfortable as possible.

You can also read books about starting school where the main character experiences making friends, learns new things, or learns how to share with others.

There are also some practical things you can do to prepare for the first day of school, which include getting your child to be more independent, starting a school day routine, and getting school supplies and uniform well before school starts.

It can be an emotional time seeing your child head into their classroom for their first day of school, but it’s important to keep any worries to yourself, so your child has the best day possible.

How are you feeling about your child’s first day of school?

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