Wellbeing News

Hi families,

Welcome to the new school year and hoping it has been a smooth transition for you and your child. We look forward to working alongside you to support, nurture and guide your child throughout the year. Please reach out if you are having any issues or would like a chat about your child.

Today’s article looks at ways to settle your child gently into the new school year. There is also a section for our new prep families so make sure you have a read as there is lots of good information to help you settle smoothly into the first few weeks.

Happy reading,

Ms Jodie

Starting the New School year

Starting the new school year brings about a whole set of emotions for our kids. The excited butterflies in the tummy about new classrooms, teachers, classmates and lessons!

But we, as parents, also need to be mindful that the return to school may bring about a sense of worry or anxiety for some children as they prepare to spread their wings from the safety of their home and caregivers.

With a little patience and support, there are several things we parents can do to make your child’s new school year a smooth and stress-free transition.

Managing feelings about starting school

Starting school can be a big change for your child, and they might feel a bit anxious as well as excited. Letting your child know that you think they’ll go well at school can help them feel positive.

Here are ideas for managing mixed feelings:

• Give your child plenty of love and support. Be excited and enthusiastic about your child starting school. This sends your child the positive message that school is exciting and that they’ll cope and have fun.
• If the topic of school comes up during everyday activities with your child, use this as an opportunity to start a conversation. But follow your child’s lead – too much talk about school might make your child feel more anxious.
• Try to see your child off to school with a happy, confident goodbye – and plan something nice for yourself too, like coffee with a friend. Even if you’re feeling sad or worried, it can help to keep these feelings from your child.

Starting school: the early weeks

Your child might need some support when school starts. Here are some simple things you can do to help these first few weeks go smoothly:

• Try to drop off your child at school before the bell goes in the morning. Also pick your child up on time. If you’re late it could make your child feel very anxious.
• If your child is worried about being separated from you, look for ways to distract your child at school drop-off. For example, you could try meeting a friend at the gate or walking to school with another child and parent.
• Make after-school time a bit special, with a snack and time for you and your child to chat.
• Be patient if your child wants to blurt out every little detail about school, or clams up completely. You could try saying something like, ‘Tell me one good thing about your day’, rather than asking a lot of questions.
• Be flexible with snacks and meals. Your child will probably be very hungry after school. If you give your child a small, healthy snack straight after school, it’ll help to keep them going until dinner.
• Don’t expect too much academic progress too soon. If your child is happy and seems to be enjoying school, that’s a real achievement. The rest will come later.
• Remember that it’s common for children to play with many different children and also to play on their own sometimes. It takes a while before they settle into a group of friends.
• If your child doesn’t seem to be settling well, or tells you about teasing or bullying, speak to your child’s classroom teacher.

Some children might be tired after school for the first few weeks. Other children might still have the energy for after-school activities. Depending on your child’s energy levels after school, you might want to let your child rest and play at home for a few weeks until you think they’re ready for playdates and after-school activities.

Prep families-What can I expect in the first few weeks?

• Expect tears at drop-off time, but maybe not straight away. For some children, it takes a while for them to realise that they have to come to school every day.

• If your child gets upset, you can gently but firmly hand them over to the teacher or teaching assistant, who’ll calm them very quickly.

• It’s a good idea to encourage your child to go into the classroom on their own rather than coming in with them. It’ll help them become more independent and it’s also easier emotionally for them to leave you on the playground.

• Your child may be very tired during the first few weeks as they begin to process the new experiences they’re having. Sticking to a bedtime routine will help with this.

• Children starting school have to get used to having less time for themselves. There may be some resistance to bedtime if it means stopping a game or activity. It may help to give plenty of warning. For example, you could say, ‘When you’ve finished that jigsaw it will be time to get ready for bed.’ Making bedtime a pleasant experience will make things easier: a bath, milk, cuddles, a favourite story – whatever your child enjoys.

• Friendships will come and go in the first few weeks of school. It often takes a while for children to get to know each other well enough to choose friendship groups.

• It’s a good idea not to plan too much in the first few weeks and wait until they’re settled before signing your child up for lots of after-school clubs.

• Don’t worry if your child tells you they had no one to play with that day. They may just be referring to one small part of the day. Teachers observe that children playing on their own are often choosing to do so and will gently encourage a child who seems shy or lonely to integrate with a group

• It’s sometimes difficult to keep track of the things that your child needs each day – water bottle, book bag, snack box and so on. You may find it helpful to make preparations for the next day part of your evening routine so that you’re not hunting around for clean school socks or a snack when it’s time to leave for school.

• When you ask your child about their day, you may find out that they don’t have much to say. Many children need some downtime where they’re not expected to think or talk about school.

• School lunchtimes are busy and noisy and can be overwhelming for some children but school staff will be encouraging children to eat and will report concerns to parents.

• Young children live very much ‘in the now’, and upsets and fallouts are usually quickly forgotten. The teacher will be observing how your child is getting on socially and emotionally and will help them to deal with issues that arise.

• We encourage good communication between parents and teachers. Having a friendly relationship means that you’ll both feel comfortable to have a chat if there’s a problem. We have online communication systems for parents to use. If you want a face-to-face chat, it’s best to ask your child’s teacher if you can pop in after school at a suitable time.

• In general, your child should be well settled by half term and used to the new routines. Having said that, if you have any concern,  always speak to the teacher. who will be able to offer reassurance or put strategies in place to support your child.