How do I prepare my child for the first day of school?

Going to school is a big milestone for you and your child. Whether it’s the first time they are going to school or if they have been in day-school prior, it is a big step transition from home. New settings, new teachers, new environment, new friends might be daunting for your child and may take some getting use too. Even children who ARE familiar with the school, have anxieties about going back to school and may resist. It’s not uncommon for even the most experienced children to have issues during the first days/weeks of school.

Here are a few simple steps you can do with your child to help them and YOU have a successful year.

1. Visit the school or classroom before the first day. Some teachers invite families to visit ahead of time. If not, take a trip to the school to see the building and the playground. If it’s walking distance – walk there a couple of times. Play on the playground. Talk to them about which class might be their class. Be excited about starting school. Your child will know if you are hesitant, so excitement is key!
2. Read good books about starting school. I have listed recommended books below for you to check out. They help get a child use to the idea of making new friends, being in a new environment and leaving Mom/Dad.
3. Talk to your child about his feelings about school, friends, teachers, and new activities. Talk to them everyday. Be positive and excited. Make sure they know that school will be a wonderful environment for them. They will have fun and make new friends.
4. Practice, practice, practice! Pretend it’s a school day, and go through the steps of getting up, dressed, fed, and out the door. Rehearse self-help skills such as dressing, undressing, and hand-washing. Your child will feel more confident when she’s asked to do these things at school.
5. Send your child with a picture of you and the family. You can’t stay with your child all year, but your photos can! You can place it in their pencil box so that they can visit the family in times of feeling upset. They might even be able to keep the picture at their desks or in their cubbies.
6. Ask your child to help you pack their lunch. Let them pick what they want to eat (making sure it’s healthy choices). Have them pack their lunches. The more invested they feel in the process helps them be more excited.
7. Let them wear something of yours. It could be a necklace/watch/ring/etc. Anything they can keep on them throughout the day.
8. Ask your child to help you pack their lunch. Let them pick what they want to eat (making sure it’s healthy choices). Have them pack their lunches. The more invested they feel in the process helps them be more excited.
9. Let them wear something of yours. It could be a necklace/watch/ring/etc. Anything they can keep on them throughout the day.
10. Let them carry a stuffed animal or a lovey. They can put it in their backpack and visit it throughout the day for a snuggle or some kisses.
11. Have them go to school with a different parent. If they are really giving Mom trouble in the morning – switch it up and have Dad drop off – or Grandparents. If there is no family around, try to carpool with a friend. Sometimes kids have an easier time going in with a friend than with Mom or Dad.
12. Create a Chart. If they go to school without any problems, they can get a sticker. Maybe, they can get a prize. I use stickers and little toys from the dollar store to motivate my daughter. It doesn’t last forever, but it helps to motivate them until they feel comfortable in school.
13. BE CONSISTENT. Do not allow your child to stay home a day because they “don’t want to go to school.” Explain to your child that this is not an option. They must go to school everyday and make sure you bring them everyday they are healthy to create a routine. They will get use to it.

Recommended Books

It’s Time For Preschool (Pre-K) by Esmé Raji Codell and Sue Ramá who introduce very young children—and their parents and caregivers—to the world of preschool in this cheerful and welcoming book that is guaranteed to make the first day (and every day) a bit less scary and a lot more fun!

The Night Before Preschool (PreK-K) by Natasha Wing. It’s the night before preschool, and a little boy named Billy is so nervous he can’t fall asleep. The friends he makes the next day at school give him a reason not to sleep the next night, either: he’s too excited about going back! The book’s simple rhyming text and sweet illustrations will soothe any child’s fears about the first day of school.

 The Night Before Kindergarten (K) by Natasha Wing. It’s the first day of school! Join the kids as they prepare for kindergarten, packing school supplies, posing for pictures, and the hardest part of all–saying goodbye to Mom and Dad. But maybe it won’t be so hard once they discover just how much fun kindergarten really is! Colorful illustrations illuminate this uplifting takeoff on the classic Christmas poem.

 The Night Before First Grade. (1st) by Natasha Wing. It’’s the night before the Big Day—-first grade! Penny is excited to start the year with her best friend right beside her in the same classroom. This humorous take on Clement C. Moore’s classic tale has a perfect twist ending that will surprise readers —as well as the “heroine” of the story— and help all about-to-be first-graders through their own back-to-school jitters.

The Kissing Hand (PreK-K) by Audrey Penn and Ruth Harper. School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester’s fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary. Since its first publication in 1993, this heartwarming book has become a children’s classic that has touched the lives of millions of children and their parents, especially at times of separation, whether starting school, entering daycare, or going to camp. It is widely used by kindergarten teachers on the first day of school. Stickers at the back will help children and their parents keep their Kissing Hand alive.

Wemberly Worried (PreK-2) by Kevin Henkes. Wemberly worried about spilling her juice, about shrinking in the bathtub, even about snakes in the radiator. She worried morning, noon, and night. “Worry, worry, worry,” her family said. “Too much worry.” And Wemberly worried about one thing most of all: her first day of school. But when she meets a fellow worrywart in her class, Wemberly realizes that school is too much fun to waste time worrying!

Invisible String (PreK-5) by Patrice Karst. Specifically written to address children’s fear of being apart from the ones they love, The Invisible String delivers a particularly compelling message in today’s uncertain times that though we may be separated from the ones we care for, whether through anger, or distance or even death, love is the unending connection that binds us all, and, by extension, ultimately binds every person on the planet to everyone else. Parents and children everywhere who are looking for reassurance and reaffirmation of the transcendent power of love, to bind, connect and comfort us through those inevitable times when life challenges us!

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Grades 1-2) Alexander knew it was going to be a terrible day when he woke up with gum in this hair. And it got worse…His best friend deserted him. There was no dessert in his lunch bag. And, on top of all that, there were lima beans for dinner and kissing on TV! This handsome new edition of Judith Viorst’s classic picture book is sure to charm readers of all ages.

Junie B. Jones Complete First Grade Set (Grades 1-4) by Barbara Park. Laugh yourself silly with the world’s funniest kid! Now, for the first time ever, all eleven first-grade books are available together, along with collectible paper dolls available ONLY in this special boxed collection! Perfect for holiday, birthday, back to school, kindergarten graduation, and teacher gifts!

Ready, Freddy! #2: The King of Show-and-Tell (Grades 2-3) Freddy Thresher has a problem: a really, really, big problem. He never has anything cool to bring for show-and-tell. This week, his best friend, Robbie, has brought the most amazing artifact to share: a real alligator head. How will Freddy come up with anything as cool as that? Good news! Later that day, he finds something very unusual and exciting. If only he can get it to school without his mom, “The Neat Freak,” finding out, Freddy will be the King of Show-and-Tell!

Ramona: The Complete Ramona Box Set (Grades 3-4) by Beverley Cleary. Kids everywhere feel connected to Ramona’s unique way of looking at the world as she tries to adjust to new teachers, encounters bullies at school, and puts up with her bossy older sister. The scrapes she gets herself into—like wearing pajamas to school or accidentally making egg yolk shampoo—are funny and heartwarming, and sometimes embarrassing. No matter what, Ramona’s lively, curious spirit shines through.

Freak the Mighty (Grades 3-7) by Rodman Philbrick. Freak the Mighty joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content! It has been over twenty years — and more than two million copies, eight foreign editions, and a popular Miramax feature film — since the world was introduced to this powerful story of a unique friendship between a troubled, oversized boy and the tiny, physically challenged genius who proves that courage comes in all sizes. 

This simple yet timeless story explores many themes, including bullying — an important topic in today’s schools. Freak the Mighty is sure to remain fresh, dramatic, and memorable for the next twenty years and beyond!

Save Me a Seat (Grades 3-7) By Gita Varadarajan. Joe and Ravi don’t think they have anything in common — but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week.

Wonder (Grades 3-7) by R.J. Palacio. “Wonder is the best kids’ book of the year,” said Emily Bazelon, senior editor at Slate.com and author of Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy. In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope. R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel “a meditation on kindness” —indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who proves that you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out. 

Frindle (Grades 4-6) by Andrew Clements. Is Nick Allen a troublemaker? He really just likes to liven things up at school — and he’s always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he’s got the inspiration for his best plan ever…the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but the funny thing is frindle doesn’t belong to Nick anymore. The new word is spreading across the country, and there’s nothing Nick can do to stop it.

American Born Chinese (Grades 7-12) by Gene Luen Yang. Jin Wang starts at a new school where he’s the only Chinese-American student. When a boy from Taiwan joins his class, Jin doesn’t want to be associated with an FOB like him. Jin just wants to be an all-American boy, because he’s in love with an all-American girl. Danny is an all-American boy: great at basketball, popular with the girls. But his obnoxious Chinese cousin Chin-Kee’s annual visit is such a disaster that it ruins Danny’s reputation at school, leaving him with no choice but to transfer somewhere he can start all over again. The Monkey King has lived for thousands of years and mastered the arts of kung fu and the heavenly disciplines. He’s ready to join the ranks of the immortal gods in heaven. But there’s no place in heaven for a monkey. Each of these characters cannot help himself alone, but how can they possibly help each other? They’re going to have to find a way―if they want fix the disasters their lives have become.