When the little ones enter the first grade of school, What should parents do so that the child is organized and can meet this new stage?
Entering school generates many mixed feelings for both parents and the little ones in the house. They may feel joy and enthusiasm or, suddenly, experience moments of nostalgia and worry about the new changes.
How to help the little ones to be positive about the new stage at school?
Among the typical reactions that occur are crying and attachment to the father or mother so as not to stay at the educational center. Despite the child being enthusiastic about preparing his materials during the days before the start of the school year, On the day they have to start school and enter the center, he cries and doesn’t want his parents to abandon him
Generally, schools collaborate to make the adaptation process easy and pleasant for the family, however a lot will depend on the management that the family unit carries out to facilitate or complicate the new stage that is about to begin.
Some tips to make the new reality easier for children
Therefore, we consider it important to provide a series of recommendations to help them in this big step without generating greater fears in the little ones and, above all, to serve as a guide for parents:
1. If possible, allow the child to get to know (15 days before) the educational center (including the classroom) in which you will receive lessons, as well as the teacher.
2. One week before starting school, start getting the child up at a time close to the time he or she should do it in class, to get used to it. Children, during the first week and because they are excited about going to school, often do so without any problem, but once the first week has passed, they begin to have problems in this regard. Children require approximately eight hours a day to rest.
3. Keep a large planner or calendar at home, in a visible place, where you can write down tasks jobs and commitments that must be done each day, using drawings or stickers so that the child can identify them.
4. Starting three months before the start of school, homework should be assigned according to age, so that when you are at school you can assume those assigned by the teaching team. It is also advisable to have schedules at home for meals, snacks, games, breaks and fulfillment of said duties, etc.
5. Establish a daily study routine from the first week to complete homework ; Even when you are not taking exams, it is important to review, for a period of time that does not exceed thirty minutes a day. It is important that the child rest, eat, and then do homework.
6. Label the materials before starting the school period with the child’s name and indicate the importance of taking care of them and keeping them in their proper place, as well as the consequences if they lose them frequently.
7. Cultivate in the child the routine of getting their materials and belongings ready to go to school, starting with cleaning the shoes (an activity that can be carried out together with the father when he prepares his own clothing), preparing the briefcase with the notebooks, in such a way that the parents are not the ones who assume responsibility for said work. It is important to have the materials prepared a day before to make sure you have everything you need.
8. To help with the previous point, the father or mother can write down the materials (extras) that are being requested at school and then attend together (father/mother and child) to obtain them or make them if applicable, but always making it clear to the child that it is their responsibility. Parents can use a specific notebook to communicate with the teacher, which the child will always carry with him and the parents will always review it.
9. Teach and allow the child to cover or decorate their notebooks and identify them by subject in such a way that the child recognizes them.
10. Encourage the student to maintain order and cleanliness in notebooks, materials and baggage Example: all the sheets must be pasted in the respective notebooks, and those sheets that do not correspond to any subject are kept in a folder for this purpose. We must ensure that the notebooks are kept organized, complete and corrected by the teacher.
eleven. Maintain constant communication with the teacher to ensure school activities: meetings, walks, recitals, etc.
12. If the child is absent from class, make up the material as soon as possible In case you are absent due to a pre-planned activity, cover the subject.
13. Keep extra school supplies at home for emergencies Generally, in the first years of school life, children are very fond of using cardboard, crayons, erasers, colored pencils, scissors, therefore, it would be very beneficial to have reserves of these materials at home in case any special situation occurs.
14. Ask the child how their day was, what they liked most, what they didn’t like and why ; errands that the teacher mentioned; relationship with classmates, as well as supervising that they properly carry out feeding routines. It is important not only to pay attention to what the child mentions verbally, but also to his or her gestures, body language, looks, evasions in the conversation, and in case of doubts, delve deeper with the teacher. Young children, for the most part, do not have the ability to express themselves and when they face new situations they tend to repress their feelings for fear of not being believed, therefore, it is very important to pay attention to non-verbal language.
fifteen. Both parents must participate in the child’s schooling process on many occasions it is assumed that the mother is the one who must ensure these tasks, however the father occupies a very important place in the process of accompanying learning, therefore, the tasks that entail the schooling process are a joint effort.
Observations on the importance of preparing children
It is important to remember that, on many occasionsthe “anxiety” generated by entering classes is usually greater in the parents than in the children themselves who absorb the feelings of their parents, and this can affect their ability to adapt to the new environment, as well as their ability to organize themselves to the new school demands.
It is not a good idea to try to alleviate your child’s suffering when entering school with these strategies that I will list below:
Any of these actions increase the child’s distress and, consequently, can cause greater adaptation difficulties For this reason, it is recommended to discuss it with the teacher or with specialized personnel at the educational center: counselor, psychologist, etc., who can provide specific guidance for the proper handling of the case.
