Photo by Gabe Pierce on Unsplash

Put yourself in your child’s shoes. It’s the first day of school, your bag is bigger than you. Everyone is taking photos of you, and you’re meeting a classroom of people you have never met. You are away from your parents for the first time in your life. All of this on the first day away from home, and all of this at the age of five! As a parent you can help minimise the shock factor by preparing your children for an easy transition into their schooling life.

“School is a different world for them, they grow up in the home for the first few years, the level of preparation that we are able to give them, to a certain extent, will directly influence the success in their school life.” – Marie Escueta, former president of EDUCHILD

You Are Their First Teachers

As a parent, you will be your child’s first educators. You will teach them to speak, to walk, and to always say please and thank you. It’s important to remember that you should always be their greatest teachers. Don’t leave everything up to the school. Be open to your children asking you questions, and just as importantly, be open to asking them questions. Every great teacher learns from their students.

Help Them Form The Virtue Of Obedience

Obedience is a virtue that children must learn early on in life in preparation for school. If a child is not obedient, they will likely struggle in the classroom and in their relationship with teachers. When helping them form this virtue from an early age we can show our delight when they follow our orders. Obedience is a lifelong skill that will be useful not only at school, but in teamwork and in their careers as well.

Embrace The Milestone

Yes, it is difficult sending your child away to school. But it’s a detachment that every parent must go through. Embrace the little things, like picking them up from school a bit sticky from art class. Savor the moments when they run to you to tell you what they did at school that day. It’s moments like these you do not want to forget.