If one of your children is about to join the school for the first time, then you are facing a major event in the life of your child that requires you to be fully prepared till it passes quietly and peacefully.
One week before school:
The way you prepare yourself for the day on which your child will go to school for the first time is of great importance. If you do not take care of it, your child will not either; if you are waiting for this day with excessive anxiety, your child will be anxious like you. The ideal behavior, however, is that you wait for that day as if it is an exciting day in the life of your child, as you do with the days of ‘Eed, which are full of excitement, and thus your child will receive this day in the same correct way.
Things to be done in this week:
Many fathers overburden themselves for the entire week by preparing the necessary things that the child will need in school. However, they miss a very important thing, which is helping their child cope with the new environment that he will experience on the first day of school. Thus, the most important thing you must do this week is to invite some children to your home who will accompany your child to school -- whether they are relatives, neighbors or the children of your friends. During this week, you have to prepare everything your child may need for his studies, including writing equipment, uniform, bag, shoes and so on. Teach your child how to wear and take off his uniform, label each piece of equipment, and write his name in a small sticker and fix it on his school bag.
One day before school:
1- Talk to your child about the following day and what he may encounter in a quiet and exciting way. For instance, you can say, "At this time tomorrow, you will be at school, meeting your new friends and I will pass by you at that time to take you home…"
2- Before sleep, prepare for your child the clothes he will wear the next day and put one or two toys in his bag. These toys will alleviate the feeling of being alienated during the time he spends at school.
3- It is only natural that the child will feel anxious and tense the night before school, so try to help him sleep early.
The first day of school:
1- Let your child feel relaxed, comfortable and unhurried.
2- Get him used to having his breakfast at home from the first day.
3- On the first day, it is preferable for the child to go to school with one or both of his parents. This makes him feel secure and confident.
4- You have to know that the most difficult situation the child faces on the first day is the moment when his father leaves him at school. So, you have to bid him farewell and depart immediately without hesitation or excessive concern, yet it is necessary to assure him that you will return at the end of the day to take him home. This immediate departure helps the child adapt to the new environment more quickly.
5- Go to bring your child at the exact time and location.
6- Ask him about what he did during the school day and give him the chance to give full answers to your questions, not to answer with a yes or no.
7- Your reactions should be positive to the child's talk by encouraging, praising and actively discussing with him even if his words sound very naïve and innocent.
On the following days:
1- Try to have your child sleep early. Sleeping and waking up early contribute greatly to his learning ability and maintain his health.
2- Get him used to preparing his equipment and bag in the evening every night to be ready for the following school day.
3- Awaken him quite early so that he will not be in a hurry in the morning.
4- Have your breakfast without haste with your child.
5- Get your child accustomed to going to the bathroom before he goes to school.
6- The child should leave the house at the exact time in order to join the school assembly line.
7- Upon leaving the school, strictly notify your child:
· To be with his friends when leaving the school
· Not to talk to strangers or accept sweets or gifts from them
· Not to walk with any unknown person even if he claims that the father or mother has sent him to you
The child's complaints about school:
Sometimes your child might complain about some matters, such as encountering harassment from another child or a teacher. The ideal action in such cases is to go directly to the school principal and discuss the causes of the problem and how to overcome them. This does not mean that you should go to school to solve all the problems your child faces; rather, this must be limited to the cases which could hinder the academic progress of your child or make him averse to going to school.
Following up the child:
Several weeks after the child has been going to school, make an appointment with his teacher to know your child's aptitude and academic progress and the level of his responsiveness to learning. Discuss with the teacher the best ways to help your child progress in school and cope with his classmates. The majority of teachers are happy with these meetings and the fact that fathers are taking the trouble to check the academic level of their children. In this way, going to school will be a happy occasion which recurs every year in the life of the child – Allah willing.