School opening is one of the most important milestones in the academic year for both children and parents. After more than a month of vacation, classes resuming means there are several changes to both schedules and lifestyles.
Even students in the best schools in Riyadh take time to adjust to this big change. If the transition is not planned and structured, it could be hard on your child and could make them lose interest in school. Therefore, parents must ensure the first day in school is as smooth and optimal for their child as possible.
As your child grows older, the transition becomes easier since they’ve done it so many times. For kindergarten and elementary school students, a little extra effort is required. Take a look at this structured list that can help make the first day back more fun, engaging, and exciting for your child.
How to Prepare for the First Day of School:
1. Create a morning schedule.
For about a week before school begins, make sure your child gets into the habit of waking up at the time when they will be required to wake up to go to school. This will make sure they aren’t half-asleep, groggy, or sullen on the first day. For younger children, wake them up promptly so that their body clock has time to adjust. For older children, ask them to set their alarm clocks so that they can take responsibility for their schedule.
2. Prepare a healthy breakfast.
School children are highly energetic and curious. Make sure your child has a healthy breakfast to prepare them to take on the day and go where their curiosity takes them. Skip the sugary cereal options and packaged juices that could cause a sugar rush and a subsequent crash. Instead, give them a breakfast rich in vitamins and fiber to keep them full, healthy, and alert all day. Make sure you give your child the number of calories they require for their age. Too much or too little could cause fluctuations in their energy levels throughout the day.
3. Set out their clothes one night in advance.
The one thing that can spoil the mood of both parents and children in the morning is the delays caused because you cannot find what you’re going to wear. Make sure your child’s school uniform is prepared and ready the night before so that there is no rush or last-minute delay in the morning. Older children should be taught to do so themselves once they reach middle school, while elementary school children will need their parents to do it for them.
4. Pack a healthy lunch for them.
While you’re building habits that will help your child have a better first day at school, make sure you’re prepared as well. Packing and labeling lunches for your child starting a few days before school reopens will help you adjust more easily to their new schedule. Having lunches packed and labeled in the fridge the night before will put your kids in the habit of eating a packed lunch each day. Also, it helps if you start eating lunch with your child at the time when they will be eating in school. As a side note, try a few interesting recipes that are healthy and tasty. Eating vegetables is important, but it’s not necessary to always have only boiled greens. Your child might stop looking forward to their lunches and opt for unhealthier options at school. Instead, combine things they like with healthy cooking styles. There are many easy, healthy, and tasty school lunch recipes you can find on the internet.
5. Fix routine TV-free hours.
During vacations or in the absence of school hours, it’s natural for TV hours or bingeing sessions to go beyond 30 minutes or an hour. Before school resumes, get your child back in a routine that will match their school schedule. Keep a few screen-free hours in the hours following their school hours. Keep this time for group activities, learning, and completing homework. You could also use this time to talk about their day, share new experiences, or do activities like reading together.
6. Help them prepare their subjects.
Every child has some subjects they excel at and others they aren’t very excited about. Take the time to go through your child’s curriculum with them and teach them certain fundamentals. Not every parent excels in every subject. But you don’t need a degree to teach your child basic alphabets, sentence construction, division, or why sand heats faster than water. Doing so will prepare your child to engage with teachers on their first day in school. For older children, some subjects could become more complex but it’s almost always possible for elementary students. This will build their confidence and make them look forward to the next class.
7. Stock up on school supplies.
One of the things that excite most children about going back to school is the new supplies. Whether it’s new stationery, books, or other supplies, it’s one reason why they are excited to go to school. Make sure you stock up on all the supplies they will need before the first day of school arrives and make them a part of the shopping experience. As they enter different stores full of attractive and colorful school supplies, they will start changing their mindset to start thinking about going to school, where these supplies have real-world applications.
8. Set expectations for the first day.
If your child doesn’t know what to expect on their first day, they could either lose precious opportunities or be disappointed by their high expectations. Setting expectations for your child includes a wide range of subjects including how to communicate more effectively with classmates, engaging with their teachers, extra-curricular activities, and any after-school activities. If it is your child’s first day in school or kindergarten, this will also include telling them about their school bus schedule, classroom location, who their teachers are, and how school timetables function.
The best schools in Riyadh encourage parents to maintain checklists that will help their children make the most of their first day back in school.
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