How to prepare your child for school? – 5 Most important things to teach them

Along with teaching them social, emotional and academic skills, it is important to help them understand the concept of school and how it works differently than home, park, playdate or any other place that your kid has been.

Keep reading to know how to prepare your child for school.

How to prepare your child for school?

1. Familiarize them: Be it for kindergarten or preschool, talk to your kid about the concept of school. Paint an interesting picture with teachers and other kids who can be friends, more toys, new activities etc. Take them with you when you go school hunting. Show them around and talk about the environment. Bring up school in day-to-day thing like while eating or dressing up and how it will be when they start going to school. This will help them predict the things and relate it when they go to school.
2. Involve Them: Involve them while you get their things ready for school. Involve them in shopping for supplies. Let them choose their clothes, lunch boxes, bags, bottles etc. Discuss tiffin and breakfast menus with them. Involve them while chalking out their new routine and explain how things will be different. Let them hear when you talk about their school and let them pitch in and share their thoughts on the same.
3. Talk to Them: Talk to your kids about their new school, teachers, activities that they will do, in a positive way. While you talk to them about it all, don’t over do it. Keep it casual than having “the talk” and then forgetting about it. Talk about their new routine, after school activities, who will drop and pick them up etc. Make it sound as exciting as you can.
4. Reassure them: Kids are afraid in new environment. They are afraid that once you leave them, you will not come back. Tell them that they will be safe in school. Teacher and the assistants will take care of them. Reassure them that Mommy/Daddy will pick them up after dropping at school. If you are opting for pick up and drop services, then talk to them accordingly. Give them something to remember you when they miss you like a heart on the hand, a handkerchief, a band etc. Tell them that you are going to miss them too and it will be okay as you will wait for them to come back and then you will have a lot of fun.
5. Don’t threaten them: Never use school or teacher as a way to threaten them. Don’t tell them that their teacher is going to punish them or you will leave them in school (Yup, some parents do) This will only create a fear in them and will make them see school as an unsafe place which will make the transition harder, for both you and your kid.

All this said, the truth is, no matter how much you prepare them, they are going to cry as soon as you leave them in the school. You are going to feel anxious no matter how mentally prepared you are.
And it is okay! 

Talking to them and preparing them makes the transition easier and helps them predict the changes. They will know what is coming for them and they will be ready to handle it, even without their mommy or daddy around. You will have to be stronger than them as they beg you and plead you not to leave them in that unknown place but this discomfort is a part of growth and you both will cherish this new milestone for life.