Starting school can be a significant milestone in a child’s life, filled with excitement and anxiety. It is not just the children who experience these emotions. Parents also go through a mix of feelings during this transition period. To alleviate some stress and ensure a smoother start, a little preparation before the school day can make a difference.
Preparing for school is a joint effort between parents and children, and it can be approached as an enjoyable adventure. By establishing routines, familiarizing children with the school environment, promoting a positive mindset, and involving them in the preparation process, you can help make the start of school a smoother and more enjoyable experience for everyone involved, especially for a child not interested in school.
Here are some tips on how to prepare your child for school:
As a family, you can come together and collectively create a schedule. Hold a meeting to brainstorm a list of tasks, discuss who should be assigned to each task, and determine the order in which somebody completes these tasks.
For example, you could agree that everyone should get dressed before breakfast. Especially if your kids wake up with voracious appetites, a promise of a meal can always serve as a motivating factor.
The goal is to involve the kids in creating the schedule, so they feel accountable for arriving at school on time.
Kids stubborn about wearing a pyjama top to preschool tend to disrupt mornings. If you settle these conflicts the night before school, it would be much easier in the morning. Allow your kids to select their outfits before they get ready for bed, but always check their chosen clothes to ensure they have included their underwear and socks.
When your children are in bed by 8:00 p.m., you are more likely to see them wake up with a cheerful and lively attitude the following day and accomplish morning tasks like brushing their teeth without resistance. On the other hand, when they go to bed late, they may wake up feeling tired and grumpy, leading to unfortunate incidents such as slower movements or dropping their toothbrushes in the toilet.
Try to always get your kids to have early bedtimes, especially on school nights. Still, it’s okay to fall short of the target sometimes because, let’s face it, getting a child into bed can be as challenging as trying to bathe a cat. In that case, start your kid’s day with a smile. Remember that presenting a positive morning mood is one critical factor contributing to what motivates a child to learn at school.
Having clocks easily accessible in your kids’ bedrooms and bathrooms is a practical way to keep them aware of their schedules and prevent them from falling behind. Placing clocks in these areas allows them to track the time and ensure they stay on track with their daily routines. Using a traditional alarm clock instead of a smartphone alarm can be beneficial for older children. Doing so reduces the temptation to start their day immediately by checking social media or getting absorbed in digital distractions. This simple adjustment encourages them to prioritize important tasks and establish a healthy morning routine focused on productivity and preparedness for the day ahead.
Do you also ask, “How do I motivate my child to get ready for school?” If the answer is yes, you must allocate time in the weeks leading up to starting school to allow your child to practice and enhance their capability to independently manage tasks like using the toilet and getting dressed daily. Activities such as buttoning, zipping, using Velcro, handling hoods, putting on socks, and fastening shoe buckles can be challenging for small hands and require ample time to master.
Ensuring your child has these skills is a crucial aspect of preparing for school and can significantly contribute to their confidence in navigating the new and busy school day.
What to say to a child who doesn’t want to go to school and does not want to go out of bed? Nothing! Just lure them out with a simple yet delicious breakfast. While a lavish brunch buffet may not be feasible, you can still ensure your kids are well-fed and satisfied with a simple breakfast. A quick bowl of cereal, nutritious breakfast bars, overnight oats, or even frittata muffins can do the trick. These options provide a tasty start to the day and have the power to entice a child to get out of bed eagerly.
To make things easier, you can bake the muffins, prepare their fruit juices the night before, and reheat them the next day. This saves time and guarantees a tasty and convenient breakfast that will excite your child to rise and shine.
It is essential to encourage your kids to take responsibility for their messes and contribute to household tasks. However, if the kids were to wash their dishes and box their toys in the morning, it would hinder them from getting to school on time. So, make sure to reserve those tasks for the evenings and weekends.
Keep your kids’ morning chore list short, like putting away their pajamas, making their beds, and carrying their breakfast dishes to the sink.
You and your family can take a break from the usual routine on weekends. Allow your kids to stay up a little later and attempt to sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays. You can sometimes deviate from the schedule even on school days, especially after late nights when your kids attend school events or celebrate special occasions like Grandma’s birthday. Understand that prioritizing an extra hour of sleep for the kids is sometimes more important than focusing on how a specific letter sounds.
With the process of getting dressed, having breakfast, and getting everything organized, it’s a wonder the kids manage to make it to school at all. As parents, you’ll do whatever motivates your child to succeed, which usually begins with getting them ready for school, even if it’s a struggle sometimes.
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