The excitement of school has begun. You can’t wait for your little one to start, but yet the apprehension of what its going to be like is real. Here are a few things to remember.

  1. It’s a season of change

Even though your pre-schooler may be raring to go, you may notice some changes at home. Besides being really tired, they may also throw a few more tantrums or not be themselves. Don’t worry. Its just a phase and will pass soon. Don’t be too hard on them. There’s a lot of change happening. Try and talk to them, and be as patient as you can.

  1. Get your child into a good sleeping routine.

This is very important and something we undermine a lot. A child who has had a good 10-12 hours of sleep at night will be much happier and their brain will be fresh for school. Research has shown that lack of sleep affects concentration, memory, causes mood changes  and even makes the children hyperactive.*

  1. Prepare them for all situations

As your children go out of your watchful eye, prepare them to face the world. Talk to them about body safety. Talk to them about handling other children who may be difficult. Tell them who are safe people they can go to when you are not around. Encourage them to reach out to children who have no friends. Teach them how to use the bathroom by themselves.

  1. Keep communications lines open

Make sure you are clued into your child’s life. Ask them how their day was. Some questions you can ask:

  • Who did you talk to in school today?
  • Tell me something about your teacher
  • What did your teacher teach you?
  • What did you enjoy most about your day?
  • Did anything make you sad today?

Always be ready to listen to them. They may not necessarily open up to you at your time. They may suddenly start talking while you play with them or while they are eating their dinner or breakfast. This quote by Catherine Wallace is one of my favourites, “Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don’t listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won’t tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff.”

 

 

*https://www.livescience.com/55021-sleep-school-age-kids.html

 

 

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