Ready for school?

We are told of the start of the school year well before the end of the holidays and although we sometimes want to run away from it, it comes quickly enough! As parents, you can take several actions to facilitate this transition moment… Whether it is in the organization of the house, in the habits to be established and in the small challenges to exercise so that your child is independent when he enters. at school. Here are my tips to make September fun!

It is never too early to speak about it in front of children and approach it in a positive way. Show your child that you can't wait to get to know the classmates who will be sharing their surroundings this year, the name of their teacher and the room they will be occupying. Talking about it with a smile and going will have a good effect on him. Some will even go so far as to create a back-to-school calendar to count the days remaining before D-Day (a bit like the Advent calendar). Involving him in the choice of his material and in identifying it will also allow him to see that school will start soon and that things will materialize.

Little by little, we get ahead of bedtime and find the routine abandoned on vacation to find the one before.

If your child is of an insecure nature or if he attends a new school, it can also be beneficial for him to pass in front of his new school, to visit the courtyard, to play spy to try to discover the places of this new establishment. When his first day of school arrives, he will already feel on familiar ground and will have a few points of reference, which is very reassuring for a child.

On the first day of school, it is not uncommon to see that the parent has trouble leaving their little one and vice versa. I have often witnessed a child who did not want to leave his mom or dad, clutching at him like a little monkey and where tears flowed profusely. Rest assured, if this happens to you, you are not the first, nor the last. The best thing to do is leave with a smile and show that everything will be fine. You will open the locks once you get to your car, stealthily! More often than not, children stop crying within 10 minutes. And all survive the first days of school! :)

Preparing your child for schooling is not just about providing them with all the equipment they need and mentally preparing them positively. Have you also thought about developing your autonomy a bit so that he can accomplish simple tasks alone?

Here are some examples of challenges you could give your child who is starting school soon:

• Go to the toilet, wipe and wash your hands without help

• Sharpen your pencils

• Dress as much as possible independently (put on and take off your shoes, dress your coat and close your zipper). When the snow suit is in order, practice putting on your pants, boots, neck warmer, tuque, coat and mittens in the correct order. (Because putting your boots on last is not the easiest thing!)

• Place its leaves in a "duo-tang" and in the right direction

• Practice putting on your shoelaces

• To blow your nose effectively; It may sound trivial, but I saw several undergraduate children who did not know how to "blow" through the nose.

• Wait for your turn to speak and do not interrupt

• Work on patience; make him wait when he makes a request. (“Wait until I finish the dishes.” “I will go see you once I have finished my recipe.”) At home and at daycare, the child / adult ratio is not the same as in a classroom and, therefore, the little ones must exercise patience when they present a request or a need.

"But time is running out!" I'm still on the run! " Indeed! And when you're in a hurry (or already late!) Is probably not the best time to take on a new challenge. Instead, wait for a moment when you are relaxed and there is no rush. Also set a realistic challenge for your child to experience small victories and be encouraged to continue their efforts. Using a timer can be very helpful here. I use mine daily at home and in my classroom. Whether it’s for bath time, for dressing, to limit the time you have left watching TV, having fun on the tablet, or playing before bedtime. My boy claims it from me and goes to get it before I even offer it to him. For him, this is visual, because he sees the remaining minutes and he knows concretely what 5 or 10 minutes represent. He also undoubtedly finds security there, because he knows how long he can have fun, or not.

We bet that at the end of the first days of school, you will want to know in detail the course of your child's days. And you may still be hungry, because many schoolchildren are not very talkative and their activity will be very brief. In this case, I suggest that you ask your little one to name something that he appreciated in his day, a positive element. It can be an emotion experienced, a funny moment, a job he liked, a period with a specialist teacher (physical education, music, English, etc.), an activity in the daycare or in his relationships with others. You may come up against an “I don't know” the first few times, but stick around and play the game too! You will know a little more about his daily life and this little ritual will help to balance the most difficult moments. These simple, yet pleasant, funny or happy little things will end your day on a positive note.

Assigning tasks and responsibilities to each member of the family, according to their age, greatly contributes to making life easier, while empowering young and old. Les belles combos calls them "Small missions" in their family organizer. Every day, everyone does their part in the house. Even if it is not always perfect, everyone puts their hands in the dough and contributes to the proper functioning of the household. In addition to reducing the number of parents' chores, it prepares your child for group life where everyone must do their part and take responsibility. Speaking of responsibilities, did you know that most elementary school teachers assign responsibilities to each student? This contributes to the good functioning of class life and push the students to take responsibility, to think about their role within the group.

Play and have fun!

Be there for your child, body and mind, read stories to him, ask questions during these readings, make him laugh and take out all kinds of games. In preschool, learning is very much through play and many concepts can be tackled and initiated at home. Tinker, cut out, color with crayons and chalks of all colors, this will work his fine motor skills, his imagination and his creativity. And I bet it will be those little moments spent with you that he will speak to the chat room, in the classroom, the next day!