How to prepare yourself and your grade one child for ‘big school’
Many grade ones have started "big school" yesterday. While this is not the stressful experience it used to be, as many attended grade 0, it can still be a substantial adjustment.
MALALANE – The majority of schools opened this mornings and many children (and parents) nervously headed to new classrooms. All the changes to their school, classroom and perhaps even town can prove a very stressful experience for children.
Trudie Gilmore of ADvTech Junior College explains that parents need to make an effort to make the transition smoother and prepare themselves for changes to their lifestyle.
Make small things like getting school supplies and uniforms, meeting the new teacher and exploring new school grounds exciting. Involve kids in learning about the new routine and deciding on lunchbox foods and afternoon snacks.
READ: Fun ways to prepare for the new school year
Gilmore urges parents to remember the following during this adjustment period:
• Allow kids to make mistakes
Children should be allowed to learn and make mistakes. Gilmore explains that parents should encourage their young ones to be more independent and think for themselves. This can be done by allowing them to dress on their own, pack their book bags and take responsibility for their belongings. “Encourage and praise them for trying, even when they don’t get it perfectly right,” she says.
• Teach them to persevere
Kids often get frustrated when they struggle to complete tasks the way they want to. Teach children to keep on trying and to complete a task, even if it is challenging. If you keep stepping in to help them, instead of guiding, motivating and encouraging them to try it on their own, they’ll never be able to succeed by themselves.
• Make friends with everyone and be kind
School helps to teach kids social skills through playing and working with their peers. They don’t necessarily have to get along with everyone, but parents need to encourage children to include everyone in their play and try to be kind to all. Gilmore explains that this will help children develop confidence and emotional maturity.
If your child is shy or lacks confidence in group or new settings, chat to your children about their fears and act out scenarios and how to handle them with toys. “Playing games that involve turns or rules, such as board games, are good for practising how to get along with others. This way, children can try out some of the skills they’ll need later to make friends,” Gilmore explains.
• Encourage kids to be curious
This is an important component in learning. “Encourage your child’s natural sense of curiosity by talking to them about things, people and places when you are out and about,” Gilmore advised. If parents engage their children in productive conversation, children learn more language and communication skills and bond with their parents, among other benefits.
Parents need to listen to and answer their questions, nurture their love of reading and look new things up on the computer.
READ: Five reasons to encourage children to read
Grade one also has several new challenges for parents. They will need to help their children manage increased stress levels due to more challenging schoolwork, homework, handling new friends, cultures, extracurricular activities and even bullying.
It’s important that parents don’t put extra unnecessary pressure on children and ensure that they get enough sleep and nutritious meals.
Prevent your children from participating in too many activities after school. Remember that they’ll need to fit in practice for each activity, as well as time for homework, play and family.
Gilmore said that society is expecting more from children at younger ages. Parents and guardians need to help them handle these demands and develop emotional intelligence to set them up for a successful school career.
