Starting school is a big thing for kids, parents (and teachers). So we’ve gathered together some great tips to help make things easier.

Sleep

Starting school is a big thing and can mean big changes to routine and this can be tiring. Making sure you all get enough sleep is important. Also make sure you take things easy for the first few weeks to keep the batteries charged.
Some parents like to get their little ones in a school time – bed time routine before school goes back to help with the change.

Talk

Don’t just talk about the changes school will bring but talk about how their day went afterwards. Ask them three things they enjoyed about their day. Asking for a set number of things they liked is more specific than “how was your day?”, meaning you’re more likely to get an answer.

If your little one doesn’t want to talk, don’t push them, but do keep asking to show you’re interested.

Tantrums

Don’t be too surprised if your new student comes home and drops in to tears, refuses to do things they would normally happily do, or is argumentative/tantruming. These things can be signs they aren’t getting enough sleep, issues at school, but one often overlooked one is they feel safe at home. The school environment can be quite structured with many rules and wanting to please teachers and friends, home is safe and doesn’t have such pressures. It’s like shaking a can of soft drink all day and opening it when you get home – it’s going to blow!

Lots of cuddles, listening, and their favourite calming activities will help with this overwhelm.

Independence

Most schools will require a child be independent with toileting and able to do shoe laces, but have you thought about lunch and snacks?

Can they open their lunch box?

Can they undo any food packaging?

Can they open and refill their drink container?

All of these things are important when they are hungry and eager to eat and get on with playing.

Birthday Parties

Do you invite the whole class or not? What happens if your child isn’t invited? These are some of the questions that run through a parent’s mind.

We want to let you in on a secret… our parties cater for up to 30 children. So you needn’t stress!

We hope these tips help you with starting school. It’s an exciting time and should be fun.