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Back to School

By Rachel Newcombe

Help your children get organised for their return to school and ease any first day nerves.

With the children heading back to school, it’s a time to get organised and back in a routine again after the relaxed summer holidays. For many children, the thought of school isn’t entirely pleasurable and for those going to new schools, they may well be feeling nervous. We’ve gathered together some helpful tips to help everyone prepare for the forthcoming term and hopefully sort out any niggling nervousness.

According to research by Marks and Spencer, 62 per cent of parents take between 15 and 30 minutes each morning getting their children ready for school. For those starting school for the very first time, the rigid routine of the school day may come as a shock. So for a few days before the start of term, it may be worth setting the alarm each morning and getting them up and dressed for the time that they’ll need to set off when term starts.

It’s easy for older children to get out of the habit of working as they relax during the holidays. Research has shown that 25 per cent of children spend up to an hour doing homework each night, but sometimes it can be a shock to the system to start working again. In order to help ease them back into the process, it’s helpful to designate an hour each day during the last week or so for the holidays for reading. It doesn’t have to be hard slog homework, just something that will encourage them to get back into the learning process and find time each day to get it done.

Those that are changing schools can get particularly anxious about the thought of it, particularly if they’ll have to get there by a different method or route to they’re unfamiliar with. In order to help ease the fear of the unknown, it’s helpful to familiarise your child with the journey or route to school they’ll take. For example, if they’ll be walking or cycling, then walking the route in advance can be useful, as can checking out the best school entrance to use and timing how long it takes to get there. 

Calming nerves

It’s perfectly normal to feel nervous before starting school for the first time, in a new place or just after going back after the holidays. However, children often don’t realise this, so remember to reassure them that it’s okay to feel like this. It can help to recall amusing anecdotes about your own school days and the way you felt anxious about new events. It’s also important to note that children don’t always focalise how they feel, so even though they may appear to be fine about school, they may still be feeling anxious.

Dropping off your child for their first ever day at school can prove just as traumatic for parents as children, but try and say goodbye calmly and reassure your child you’ll be back to pick them up at the end of the day. Research has shown that children whose parents hang about at the gates for longer tend to get more upset, so try and walk away as soon as you’ve said goodbye.

It’s also normal to expect some tears from young children, but this doesn’t mean they can’t cope or are extremely distressed, it’s merely a normal reaction to a significant change in routine and they’ll hopefully settle down as they get used to their new life.

As well as children feeling a bit anxious about the start of term, many parents do too. However, as the days go by and you all get into the school routine, your nerves and anxieties should begin to ease as normal day-to-day life takes hold.