The concept of school and studying can be a bit difficult to grasp especially for toddlers who will be attending school for the first time. Of course they have gotten used to their routine that they will stay at home, play, eat, play again, sleep and well, yes, play some more. So the idea of going to school every day and being left by their parents with other children and teacher is indeed something new to them. As parents, it is important to guide them. We will discuss here some tips to help you encourage your kids about attending school for the first time.
- Share some stories about school – kids look up to their parents like superheroes and it would give them excitement to hear your stories about school. It will help them form the picture of school, classmates, teachers and other fun things about it. It would be great for them to have something to look forward to.
- Explain to them the importance of education and attending school – research has shown that attending school at early age is important to child development. During this time, the child’s brain undergo rapid development and children develop cognitive skills such as math and science and also social skills.
- Visit prospect schools together – as parents, you certainly wish to find the best school for your kid. This is why you visit all possible good schools whether ib schools in Singapore, private school or a specialized school to enquire about their curriculum, see the environment and facilities and check whether it is where you want to enroll your kid. Once you have shortlisted possible schools, it would be great to bring along your kid so they can see it too.
- Shop school supplies – another way to encourage kids about going to school is going shopping. You should let them pick their school bag, shoes, pencils, notebooks, and other school supplies. That would be fun for them for sure!
- Prepare healthy and delicious lunches and snacks – once they are attending school, be sure to take time to pack them healthy and delicious meals. This will ensure that they are eating clean and healthy foods and not junk foods from the cafeteria.
- Always ask them how their day at school was – it is also important to always ask the kids how their day at school was like what they did, who are their friends, and so on. You should encourage them to share stories and make sure to pay attention so they know that you are interested to know.
- Arrange play dates with their classmates – one of the things that excites little kids about going to school is their friends and classmates. It would be fun to arrange play dates with their classmates after school or during weekends. This will help develop kids’ social skills and camaraderie.
More than choosing the school you want to enroll your kids in, you must first help your kids prepare mentally that they are now going to attend school. You must always give encouragement to help boost their confidence and determination to do well in school. Also, make sure to give them compliments or even rewards when they did well. But of course, you should also be cautious not to push them too hard to the point that they feel pressured and suffocated.
