First day of primary school is a big deal for both children and parents. I remember when my first son was born our nephew was a first grader and school seemed far away in the future for our newborn. Seven years later, I am a proud mother of a first grader myself. Time has literally flown by.
This huge milestone marks a new chapter in our children’s lives but also in ours. We have to take their schedules in consideration more than ever before. We need to ensure that our young students feel comfortable with school and are adapting well to the major change. It is very important to make sure that the children acquire studying habits and learn to be independent. With that many questions arise, such as do they need a cell phone, how about transportation, is it OK to keep the rest of their extracurricular activities?
Personal experience and preparation are obligatory before school starts. As parents we need to do our best to organize the school year ahead of time. Make sure that you child’s uniform is prepared and their outfit for the first day of school is ready and dry cleaned. A good tip is to schedule an appointment with the school and check it out with your child so that they are familiar with it. In our case we have been able to check the school during the exam prior to enrollment.
No matter how much we try our child might still feel anxious before the first day of school. As the school year approached my first grader became nervous and shared that he wasn’t sure whether he would manage at school. Back in time, on Mother’s day he prepared a thank you note for me to express his gratitude for enrolling him at school. Instead of him being super excited as I expected he would be, my son is nervous and kept asking how was supposed to cope with school since there are so many things he still needs to learn.
In general, most children need support when they are making a transition to school. They are old enough to understand that this is a new chapter in their lives but at the same time at this age they are still children. It is important for us as parents to talk to them and communicate with them. We can only do so much to prepare them before the big day arrives.
Today is the big day! On the first day of school, the local school traditions require that each child brings a bouquet of flowers for their school teacher and the day starts with festive celebrations at the school premises. So off we go, the entire family (sans the baby as she is too young for such a big crowd) is going to the primary school to celebrate our first grader.
Good luck to all students with the new school year!
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