21st August, 2024
In the blink of an eye the summer holidays are almost over and it’s time to begin thinking about the return to school for many families across the country. After a long relaxing summer, (or a hectic one) it’s easy to wonder where to start.
We reached out to our team to share their wealth of knowledge on how to prepare children for the new term.
Team Manager, Lisa, told us the importance of a bit of early preparation. “About 2 weeks prior to returning to school,
This was tough when they were teenagers as they just wanted to sleep, sleep and more sleep! However, it did make life easier when it came back to getting into the school routine.”
The idea that preparation is key was reiterated by Children’s Champion, Maisie, who commented, “One of our tips to our young people, especially those who are transitioning to secondary school or college is to
as they might be needing to get public transport such as a train or bus.”
Registered Manager, Bev, along with team, Natalie & Helen, had this to add, “Get the uniform prepared well in advance, save yourself the stress by missing the rush. Check any summer homework is complete early. Arranging some play dates is also a good idea, so the children aren’t nervous about seeing one another after such a long break. Get your packed lunches planned, and if they’re starting a new school take a trip there so they can see the building.”
Some super practical tips and tricks for getting ready for that all important first day. But what about the emotional preparation? Fostering Support Worker, Jill, had some incredible advice for taking the anxiety out of starting school.
“Spend some time together to go over the school day and practise those little moments which might cause them to panic…
Letting them wear their uniform around the house is also a great way to help them feel more comfortable, so that when the first day comes, this won’t be another first. They’ve probably got out of the routine of being still while on holiday, so take some time to sit and do a task that requires concentration, keep it low stress – some colouring or a jigsaw puzzle is perfect.
A nice little touch is to provide the children with a laminated little ‘push button’ in their bag. If they’re feeling worried and scared, they can push the button and know you are thinking about them and sending them brave thoughts.
Talk to them, discuss ‘safe strangers’, teach them to be kind, and above all reassure them that as long as they try their best – that’s all that matters.”
We love Jill’s approach to an anxiety free start of school. She also recommended some fantastic books to read together to help ready the family for their school journey.
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