There are only a few days left until school starts. The orientation process for the little ones who will start primary school will begin on Monday, September 2. As much as the excitement of the little ones, the preparation of parents whose children will go to school for the first time is also important. Stating that it is important for parents to control their emotions on the first day of school, experts point out that this will allow the child to calm down.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Specialist Clinical Psychologist Gökçe Vogt gave advice to parents of children who will start school for the first time.
Specialist Clinical Psychologist Gökçe Vogt stated that the opening of schools is a big day with many emotions not only for children but also for parents whose children will start school for the first time. Vogt listed the things to do to prepare for the big day as follows:
Introduce your child to the school environment: Visiting the school a few times before the school opens, giving your child the opportunity to meet the teachers and informing him/her about the activities he/she will be doing at school will help to remove uncertainties in the child's mind and accelerate the process of getting used to school.
Change eating and sleeping patterns: In order to avoid problems with your child's school routine, you should start organizing sleep and meal times before school starts.
Inform about the first day of school: Start telling your child in advance what you will do on the first day of school. Tell them how you will get to school, what they will do at school and when you will pick them up from school. You can tell your child about your own memories of the first day of school to help them get used to it.
Stay calm and say goodbye: How you feel on the first day of school and your ability to control your emotions will affect how your child behaves. Staying calm and saying encouraging words to your child will help him/her to calm down and leave you in a relaxed way. Immediately after reintroducing your child to the teacher at school, keep the goodbye short. The longer you prolong this process, the more difficult it will be to say goodbye.
If he/she is anxious; it is worrying for the child to go from an environment where he/she feels most secure to an environment full of uncertainties. Talk to him/her about his/her anxiety. Never underestimate or criticize his/her anxiety. You need to reassure him/her that you understand him/her. Show him/her where you are waiting for him/her, tell him/her that you will wait for him/her and help him/her to calm down.
Reassure your child
Reminding that some families sometimes do not want to leave their children alone at school when school starts, Gökçe Vogt said, "In order not to negatively affect your child's adaptation to school, you should not stay in the classroom or follow your child. If your child leaves you calmly, you should do the same. However, if your child is very anxious and has difficulty leaving you, you can reassure him/her by telling him/her that you are waiting for him/her outside the school to reassure him/her."
