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Starting A New School

by Evelyn Petersen

Question:
We have moved to a new state and my elementary school children are as nervous about starting school as if they were just starting kindergarten. We also have a kindergartener starting school. What can we do to ease the anxiety?
K.S.P. Houston

Answer:

Make sure that all the old school records have been sent to the new school, and call the school principal to see that these important papers arrived safely. Check to see if any new health records are needed. After that, include your older children in all the things you are doing to help the kindergartener feel more comfortable. The things you do will lessen their anxiety, and the "excuse" of helping little sister or brother allows them to "save face," and not admit they are nervous.
If the kids are used to staying up late, ease them from this summer habit into a school day routine by having them go to bed and get up earlier starting a week before school starts.

If your children will ride a school bus, arrange a mini "field trip" to the bus garage to see the buses and have the little one practice getting up and down the steps. Practice the traffic safety routine; cars do NOT always stop for a stopped school bus!

Take the children to visit the new school the week before; call ahead to say you are coming. Explore the gym, playground and cafeteria. Find their classrooms and meet their teachers. Being familiar with the school setting, meeting the teachers, and seeing that you are friendly with the teacher will all help your children feel more at ease about the new school.

See if the teachers will give you the names of parents and children who may live near you and who will be in your children's classes. Try to get the kids together sometime before school starts for milk and cookies. Having a friend always helps.

When school starts, remember that long days of dealing with change takes lots of energy! Be sure they get lots of sleep (at least 8 hours) and eat good breakfasts. Always lay out clothes and prepare backpacks the night before a school day to eliminate rushing. Send them all off with a smile and a hug, and save time after school to say, "Tell me about your day."

Ms. Petersen's nationally syndicated parenting column is carried in over 200 newspapers twice each week. As a family/parenting consultant, early childhood educator, Head Start consultant, and host of a series of parent training audio and video tapes, Ms. Petersen employs an approach of providing hands-on, nuts and bolts advice to parents across the country. Her new book "A Practical Guide to Early Childhood Planning: The What Why and How of Lesson Plans" has just been released.

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