Helping your child get ready for school – 5 useful tips for parents

Posted on 29th August 2019 by Lauren Small

At Hopscotch, we help prepare our children for life at school. Here are a few helpful tips to make the transition as easy as possible:

1. Organise frequent play dates to help them learn social skills outside of school. Making friends can be very daunting for children initially. Having a social life outside of school will help boost their confidence and develop social skills
2. Talk to your child about your feelings as well as theirs. Help them manage negative feelings safely. Children can often struggle to express negative feelings without becoming upset or stressed. Creating a calm environment at home where they can explain how they feel will help them manage their ever-growing range of emotions.
3. Read regularly to your child from an early age. Ensure you have a range of different books with a variety of visuals. Reading at bedtime helps with children’s development, as well as creating quiet, relaxing moments for both you and your child to bond.
4. Consider extra-curricular activities at local clubs or groups i.e. Swimming. This will encourage them to take part in activities after school. It will also help build confidence and create new challenges to achieve, whilst adding to the daily routine.
5. Join in with role play with your child. Play alongside your child, letting them be imaginative and create the stories and context. This broadens their imagination and encourages creativity. They will also feel like they are in charge by taking control of the activity.

These are just some ideas to help develop your child’s social and physical skills, as well as nurturing their personality.

For more information on this topic please visit PACEY’s useful guide on preparing for school.

We wish you all the best for starting school!