School is an important shift in most children’s lives, and parents can help ease their anxiety regarding this transition. According to experts from Save the Children (Rädda Barnen), parents can help with a child’s anxiety about the first day of school by setting certain routines ahead of time. This includes practical preparations, such as organizing the child’s morning routine, whether it be breakfast or uniform, before school, and letting the child express any anxiety they may have about the new place. Asking children to talk about their feelings, and offering alternatives may also ease the process of getting used to school.
Establish routines
Majemaförlaget (a publisher of school books) also acknowledges the necessity of helping children establish routines, by saying this is a source of security and stability. Parents should be cautioned not to evaluate children by how other children have adapted into the schooling environment; each child responds differently to the schooling process. Rather, they should be a source of enthusiasm by stimulating activities that develop the child’s inquisitiveness and interest for education and learning.
Improve the child's confidence
Both sources stress that preparation is received even before the children get dressed for school. Additional support includes emotional attachment and positive experience with learning. Kids’ confidence can improve by showing concern for what they watch daily as happened in school and permitting them to articulate their feelings at the right time, rather than bottling everything up. Besides this, teaching practical skills such as how to pack one’s school bag or how to arrange the study area instills responsibility and independence in a child, fostering development (Majemaförlaget) (Save the Children).
Smoothing the transition into the school year both physically and emotionally can be done by integrating practical tips with emotional guidance to nurture the kids into coping well with the academic and social demands in their lives.
