Supporting Children who are Starting School

Starting school can be an anxious time for both the children and the parents and often coincides with a change in childcare arrangements. If the child has had a fulltime nanny before they may be changing to a, new, afterschool nanny and this means there will be many new things for the child to be adjusting to. Whether you are a parent or a nanny some of these ideas may help to support the child with their transition to full time school and any other changes that could be happening at the same time.

Recognise their feelings

When children are due to start school it seems people are queuing up to tell them how exciting it is and how grown-up they are, in reality children often feel anxious about this change in their lives. Speak to your child about how they feel about going to school and acknowledge feeling worried, scared or anxious is OK.

Give them some strategies that can help them to cope if they begin to feel anxious during the day at school. Some things that may help are;

• Imagining their favourite place
• Thinking of their favourite things
• Squeeze something such as playdough (reception classes often have playdough freely available for the children)
• Squeezing and releasing their fists
• Having a drink of cold water

Make a book about what will happen

Make a book with pictures of your child in that goes through the routine of what will happen on a school day. Start it from when they get up in the morning and end when they get home from school. Read it regularly in the weeks leading up to them starting school. Let them get involved in making the book too, they might like to decorate the pages.

Show them pictures of their new teacher

Your child will probably have met their new teacher before the school breaks up for the summer holidays, speak about the teacher regularly along with any other staff who you know will be in the class. If you haven’t got pictures of the teacher and the other staff have a look on the school website, many of them will have a section where you can ‘meet the team’.

Meet up with other children

If you know any of the children who will be in your child’s class at school arrange some playdates with them before they start school. Your child may find the first few days easier if there are more familiar faces in the class.

Encourage your child’s independence

Some of the most useful skills your child can have when they start school is being able do some things for themselves. Supporting your child to be able to put on and take off their own coat and shoes, open packets that may be in their lunch box and pour themselves a drink will all assist with supporting your child’s transition.

Share stories –

There are many story books about starting school which you will be bale to borrow from your local library.

Some books to look out for are;

Starting School by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Topsy and Tim Start School by Jean and Gareth Adamson

I am too Absolutely Small for School by Lauren Child

Harry and the Dinosaurs go to School by Ian Whybrow

Chu’s First Day at School by Neil Gaimon and Adam Rex

Whiffy Wilson the Wolf who Wouldn’t go to School by Caryl Hart and Leonie Lord

First Day at Bug School by Sam Lloyd

Written Harmony at Home Limited. All Rights Reserved, 2021.