New School Year: Let’s get better organized!

“I remember the first day at my daughter’s school … voices … cries … The teachers almost took her by force, and I I feel like a bad mother! I would like not to live the same with my son! “

The first day at school is a nightmare for most parents. Especially in cases where a close relationship develops between the parents and the child, the child can find it even more difficult to leave the parents, and especially the mother, to go to the “unknown” school. Thus, the first day is accompanied by tears, voices, sobs on the part of the child, and usually, feelings of guilt on the part of the mother. Although the first day is usually not repeated or if it is repeated it will be for a few more times, it would be good to make sure that our little one does not experience such an intense stressful situation. Good organization and proper planning can help manage this situation, ensuring the mental integrity of the child.

Here are some tips , for example:

Kindergarten or school visit: Many schools and kindergartens encourage both students and parents to visit their premises before school starts. Thus, children and parents will be able to get acquainted with the location, layout and more generally, the school / kindergarten area. It is good to pay a visit to see the classrooms, the toilets, the canteen. This will make the child safer, while helping us to discuss, later, various things about the class, and in general, about the school, before the beginning of the lessons.

Meeting with the teacher: It would be good, as we visit the school / kindergarten, to try to meet the teacher, if of course this is possible. This way, both the child and the teacher (or the teacher) will get to know each other before the lessons start. The child will now recognize a familiar face in the many unknowns that will exist at school.

Shopping for the new school year: Shopping to get the necessary supplies for school is a fun experience, which would be good to share with our child . We can make a list of what we want to buy, which is always regulated by us parents, and then, we let the child choose what he likes.

Program: A program will help us to discuss the child’s school activities in advance, connecting them with his / her daily life. Thus, the child will begin to get acquainted with his daily program through internships, which will now include school.

Organization: From the beginning, it is important to have a consistent daily schedule for both us and our child. However in the program, let’s include to prepare the school bag together, to choose tomorrow’s outfit together, to prepare breakfast or lunch together, etc. Thus, the child will become familiar with healthy eating, as well as with its preparation (eg bag, clothes, etc.), as after a few months, once it has acclimatized, it would be good to let it prepare alone and independent. After all, early “good” habits hold.

Creating a safe environment for the child: It is important to spend a lot of time with the child discussing our personal experiences at school. That is, how much we liked it, because through school we learned, or if we did not like it, how beautiful and strong friendships we developed through it. The aim is to boost the child’s self-confidence by sharing positive and beautiful experiences with him.

We leave the child, providing our support: On the first day, we give a lot of hugs to our little one, but we have to keep our balance and push him to leave. If all the preparation before the start of school is done properly and carefully, emphasizing all the positives of the school and involving the child in this preparation, the first day can be an exciting experience for the child. So let’s say goodbye to our little one, telling him that we will anxiously wait for his news of the first day.

Alexia Stathaki, Psychologist