The Fight Back to School

If getting your little one to school is an uphill battle involving tears, screams and flying toys, here’s how you can make the transition a less stressful one.

 The time has come to pack away those action toys and stuffed   plushes the likes of The Incredibles and stock up instead on colour pencils and number books. As your precious child heads off to school for the first time, how can you help him cope?

According to Koh Siat Yeow, assistant director for Professional Development and Continuing Education with Regional Training & Resource Centre in early Childhood Care and Education for Asia (RTRC Asia), there are a few problems that young children face when attending school for the first time.

Having been reliant on their parents or caregivers in the preceding years, they may not know the value of money and are shy or unable to purchase food from the canteens, says Koh. They may also be overwhelmed by the sheer size of the school compound, as well as by the number of staff and students.

Other possible problems include taking the wrong school bus or fear of going to washrooms which may be located some distance from the classroom. Also, they may have difficulties following teachers’ instructions. Fear or anxiety arising from these problems may then be manifested in the child’s reluctance to go to school, frequent claims of illness, nightmares or crying episodes.

 What can be done?

“School teachers must be patient and understanding during this monumental transition period,” says Koh. In fact, the Association for Childhood Education International’s Global Guidelines For Early Childhood Education And Care In The 21st Century recommends that the educator has “personal characteristics that demonstrate caring, acceptance, sensitivity, empathy and warmth towards others”. Parents can observe their child’s teacher for these traits.

It is also important to foster an environment in which parents and teachers work closely together, and are able to communicate regularly and openly. This is to facilitate their co-operation on any problems or general observations concerning the child and his progress.

Parents should try to volunteer their services at the school to cultivate a deeper and more meaningful involvement in their child’s education. To encourage parental participation, the guideline recommends that schools create opportunities for volunteering. This can include things like assisting in the classroom, helping kids settle down in school when feasible or enabling families to construct educational materials for children’s use.

 Teach the child

Aside from creating a more child-friendly environment at school, parents should also equip their child with various skills to help them become independent. For one, they could teach their child the value of money, the virtue in saving regularly, how to differentiate between wants and needs, as well as the importance of counting their change.

The child could be trained to verbally express his feelings and emotions, instead of resorting to withdrawal or throwing tantrums. Koh also stresses the necessity of ensuring the child understands the importance of taking instructions from adults in authority, and accepting basic rules such as keeping quiet during lessons •