First Day of School: Soothing Childs Fears

As the first day of school approaches, children are either dreading or looking forward to it. Their reactions will likely be based on whether they have experience to fall back on or not. If your child is going back to school, they probably have a good idea of the routine, expectations, when they will see their friends. If your child is going to school for the first time, they’re likely feeling a little bit apprehensive. These strategies can be used to help sooth your child’s first-day fears.

Speaking positively about school is one of the best things you can do to help your child combat the first-day-of-school fears. Your attitude and speech about school will greatly affect how they view it. Tell them about your first day of school, and admit to them if you were a little scared. It’s alright for them to be a little frightened, but that once they get there, they’ll soon be so busy having fun that they won’t have time to be afraid any longer.

Many children,who are going to school for the first time, are afraid because they’ll be away from Mom for the first time. You can help them by reassuring them that you’ll be back to pick them up when their day is through. If your child is riding the bus, you can tell them that you’ll be home when they get there. Allowing them to carry something of yours in their pocket might also help to sooth some fears.

Taking your child to school a couple of days before school starts is a good way to ease your child’s fears. If they are familiar with the school, where the bathrooms and lunchroom are, and what to expect, they’ll be more likely to handle the first day well. It would also be helpful if your child were able to visit their classroom and meet their teacher.

Speaking of classrooms, most schools allow parents to take children to their classroom on the first day of school. Check with your school to see if this is possible. Walking your child to his classroom might give him the courage he needs to start the day. After your child has made a friend or gotten involved in something, quickly slip out of the room; don’t stay there too long.

When the school day is over, you may want to either go to school and pick your child up, or wait for him at his bus stop. Ask questions to show that you are genuinely interested in what happened during their day. What did they do? Did they make new friends? Do they have something you need to look at for tomorrow? Brag on your child and tell them how brave they were. Showing interest and asking questions gives the child the opportunity to show off what they’ve learned, and let’s them be a “teacher” for a while.

Finally, start a new family tradition. Plan a “first day at school” party for your family, complete with hats and a cake. Make the day special and something for your child to look forward to when the day is through. Memories of their first day at school should be something to look back on fondly. By following these steps and helping your child with first-day jitters, you can help them look forward to each “first day” for their entire school career.

Here is a sweet little book that I have found to be very helpful. Pick up a copy to help prepare your child for school and overcome any separation anxiety.

I Don't Want to Go to School:: Helping Children Cope with Separation Anxiety (Let's Talk)