If your children have been attending playschool or Montessori they’ll already have learned a lot of the social skills needed for starting school, and may even have grasped the concept of sitting still for quiet time! But starting ‘big school’ will be a big change, for them and for you. You can make the process easier by preparing them for it, particularly over the summer holidays before they start.
Some schools will operate a summer club of one kind or another, which will help the children familiarise themselves with the school building and environment. Others will have an open day earlier in the year which parents and children can attend.
If your children’s school is in the same area as their playschool they may already know a lot of children who will be in their class. If not you could consider arranging play dates with other children – it may make their first day less scary if they know they will see familiar faces in the classroom. Try putting up a post on one of the parenting websites to see if you can meet someone else in the same position.
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