You may have a few mixed feelings. There may be a bit of worry, nerves and tears on both sides! Your children are growing up and let’s face it, for us parents it’s totes emosh! No matter how alien it may feel initially, it really is the start of a wonderful new chapter of excitement and fun where they’ll make friends, learn new skills and become independent.

Whatever their age, starting something new can be daunting. But don’t worry! With a bit of gentle encouragement and some of our Practically Family prep, we promise your child will be hop, skip and jumping out of school with big smiles, bursting to tell you all their stories in no time at all!

Getting your child school ready, whatever stage they are at, will make the whole experience a lot easier. So, whether your little one is joining us in the POD for the first time, starting our Preschool, or getting ready to start *big* school (gulp), we’ve got some top transition tips for first timers (and their grown-ups ?).

1. Arrange a Visit

Booking a tour or session prior to starting is the perfect way to let your little one look around. This allows them to see everything with their own eyes (and get excited) for when they start.

If your child is about to start primary school, the schools will arrange visits for new starters and schedule little transition days before they start properly. Don’t let that stop you doing your own practice runs over the summer though. Taking a walk to school, talking about what you see on the way, looking at the school building are all wonderful ways to build their school readiness. Especially before all the big boys and girls are there!

2. Create a Smooth Morning Routine for School

Honestly, having a routine will work wonders for keeping the new starter-jitters at bay! As with everything, start early so that it’s in place before September comes.

For pre-school or school days, think about what time you’ll need to wake up and get everything ready to get to school on time. Putting their clothes (or uniform) out the night before is a good easy way to signal to your child it’s a preschool or school day. Get them involved in the to-dos too! Get your kids to practice packing their bag (if they’re old enough) which gives you a good opportunity to talk about the day ahead. Maybe putting their lunchbox on the kitchen counter ready for the next day could be another way to mentally prepare your little one for a school day. These are all simple yet effective reminders of the regular morning routine to come.

3. Have a Goodbye Routine – and Stick to It!

Saying goodbye is always the hardest part isn’t it?

So, say goodbye in a cheery way no matter how you feel! The key is not to cry (or save it for when they can’t see you) and take tissues! For grown-ups, make plans for after the school drop off, to grab coffee or meet with a friend whilst you also adjust to this new free time without your little sidekick!

If your little one gets upset. The number one rule is don’t worry. This is normal!

We pinky-promise you that they’ll be all smiles in no-time at all and hanging around is only going to upset them (and you) more. We like to give our parents a quick telephone call after teary goodbyes to reassure you that your child is okay. You’d be surprised how quickly (even after floods of tears) children simply get on with playing and having fun!

So, stick to your routine, kiss them goodbye and tell them you’ll be back to collect them. Save the emotional hugs for later!

4. Talk to Your Child to Ease Their Worries (and Your Own!)

School readiness isn’t all about knowing your ABC’s or your 123’s. The MOST important thing you can do to help your child is to get them emotionally ready. The best way to do this is to simply talk to them. Tell them what to expect at school and talk about what they might do there. Simple is always best. When they take off their coat, mention at preschool or school they will have a named peg to put their coat on. Point out the school when you pass it. Talk casually about the upcoming change. Don’t make it a big thing, just drop it in when the right opportunities arise.

There are some fabulous books all about starting school that create a perfect opportunity to talk to your child about how they’re feeling. It gives you the chance to identify any worries or to encourage the things they are really excited about. You could even start a little journal with them about this exciting milestone. Your child can draw pictures of their school, or their uniform (if they have one), you can write down for them how they are feeling or what their teachers name is. It’ll be a wonderful reminder for when they are older plus a lovely way to keep reassuring and reminding them about this new, exciting step.

5. Create a Relaxed Consistent Routine by Dropping Off and Picking Up Your Child, On Time

Getting your child relaxed and ready for the school day is a huge part of a successful transition.

A morning routine that isn’t rushed and allows plenty of time for your child to adjust really makes a difference to how they cope with the school day. Dropping your child off on time avoids any school run stress and means they enter preschool or school relaxed.

Equally, having a pick-up routine where you’re on-time, waiting to collect them as they finish with a big cheery smile, will go a long way to reassure any worried little minds. This means the next nursery, preschool or school day should be easier. So, avoid unnecessary stress by being uber organised - especially in those wobbly first few weeks!

 

We’ve welcomed hundreds of little ones into our POD setting. We like to think it has taught us a thing or two about how kids settle best. Starting school is a change for all the family. We know you’ll miss them and want to know how they are getting on without you. That’s why there’s always the opportunity to come in and chat with us about how your little one is doing.

For Preschoolers joining POD, each child will have their own Tapestry account – a special online record of their experiences, developments and progress. You can check in on the app anytime throughout the day to see what they’ve been doing and what fun they’ve had.

Whether your child is starting here with us at the POD or moving on to big school, the most important thing is to remember that we (and the teachers at their new school) are always here for you. If you’ve any questions or concerns or anything that you’re not sure about, simply ask.

Our team have big open arms and a ton of fun and expertise up our sleeves to help make every transition an easy one. Before you know it, they’ll be bouncing in and out of nursery, preschool or school happily.

And you can finally breathe a BIG sigh of relief!