Preparing for School
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Posted by Wei Yin Wong Jan 8, 2009 |
My son Joshua had a terrible time adjusting to school life when he started kindergarten a few years back. I wasn't surprised. He had always been very clingy and a tad over-protected by his grandparents. He didn't like the idea of starting school at all. Even the wonderful orientation day with nice toys, colorful pictures on the wall and ultra-friendly teachers did nothing to change his mind.
So on the first day of school, as expected, he protested strongly as we prepared him for school. He cried, he wailed, he begged and he fought back, quite literally. The wailing stopped when we stepped into the classroom but anyone could tell he was terribly upset. Of course, he was not the only one with school anxiety. A few other kids were putting up pretty strong protests as well.
For the next two weeks, wailing and trying to pull off his kindergarten uniform became a much dreaded morning ritual. The teacher assured me it was normal. But what wasn't so normal was the fact he didn't speak to any of the other kids in his class for the first four months of his new kindergarten life! Thankfully he didn't cause any trouble and was actually learning fairly quickly.
Looking back, I should've prepared him more for his new life at school. I got lots of tips from family and friends but neglected to consult parenting books and other refereces. If I had, things would have been a lot easier and smoother for all of us while Joshua was starting school!
Now, my youngest sister is facing the same problem. Her son has not taken to school life very well. So I've shared with her all the parenting tips on getting ready for school that I'd written on Suite 101. Trying to stay positive, talking only about great things at school, buying new and colorful stationery and maintaining good parent-teacher communication are just some of the many ways to help children adjust to school life.
I'm glad to say Joshua has got used to school life beautifully after that initial giant hiccup. Today, he's much more independent, more sociable and a first class student (according to his teacher, not me!).
Parents keen to find out more about preparing their kids for life at school can read the following articles for ideas:
Easing School Anxiety in Children