How to ready your child for school
SUPAWADEE INTHAWONG
'I was so proud I was able to help my son feel good about school. And I was proud that he took a short time to adjust to school. He cried only for a week, before he was happily going to school each morning. It is a big step for every child." Sasithorn Jiraanuntakul, 31, shares her experiences getting her son ready for school and adjusting to a new environment.
Build a motive for getting up early
Sasithorn would tell her son, Copter, before going to bed everyday that if he woke up early he would have half an hour to spend in the school playground before the class started.
"When he used to cry in the mornings and refused to go to school, I asked him what he liked best about school. He said he liked the playground. So, we agreed that if he woke up early he would be allowed to play before going to class. It was an effective strategy as he never cried again," said Sasithorn.
There are other techniques such as letting the child design his own breakfast menu. When he is up and about to start crying as he does not like getting up early, Sasithorn said, "Your Pooh bear pancake is ready." That will make any child jump out of bed immediately.
Go into the school with your child
It is a good idea to go school with your child and drop him off and pick him up after school yourself, as you will be able to meet his teachers as well as getting a chance to hear your child talk about school.
Sasithorn said when she was driving her son to school she liked to tell him about good school stories such as how he would meet many friends and new toys and how he would learn to do things himself.
She said the talks with the teachers when she was dropping off or picking up him up would help her learn how he was doing at school, what he had learned, and whether he liked to play with friends or be by himself.
"I always complimented my son when he began to do thing by himself. Like when the teacher told me Copter was able to feed himself using a spoon, without dropping a single morsel or when he was able to ask the teacher if he could use the toilet. My compliments would make him feel good about school and encourage him to do things by himself. I saw him trying to dress himself in the morning and he was getting better." At the weekend, she rewards Copter with ice cream and takes him places.
Allow the child to take school bus after the first week if necessary
"My son enjoyed taking school bus as he got to learn where his friends lived. When he got home he would tell me where the bus had dropped each of his friends, which I would be very attentive in listening. Some of his friends live in high-rise condominiums, while others lived in houses 'hidden deep in the soi'," she said.
Give your child a family picture
Having a picture of the family also helped Sasithorn's son to feel better. She said Copter was her only child and he would get a lot of love at home from his father, mother, grandparents and other relatives.
School was a new environment for Copter with new people who he had not been familiar with. He told Sasithorn that he wanted her to be in the classroom with him. So, one of her friends suggested Copter carry a small picture of his family in his backpack.
"It might seem funny, but a picture of his parents and grandparents made him feel better as he knew it was always in his backpack."
Do not let your child wait after school
During the first week, it is better to arrive at the school about 15 minutes early before the school is over. If the parent arrives late, the child starts feeling uncomfortable as other friends have already been picked up.
"I have to admit the sound of my son's crying during the first week was torturing me. But I have learned from talking to other mothers that this is an experience every mother faces. Eventually, our child will be able to adjust but his mother must be patient and help him through all those experiences with confidence," said Sasithorn.
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