How to Prepare a Child For School

Video Transcript

DR. F. FELICIA FERRARA: Hello! I'm Doctor Felicia, the parent coach and I've been working with children and families for over twenty five years now. I'd like to share with you some important tips on how to get your child get prepared for school. When they enter school in kindergarten it's a huge event for any child. Every first day of school is a huge event for any child but particularly kindergarten since they've never been before. Now it's really important if your child is an only child or the oldest child and has no examples set by siblings, it's important for you to familiarize your child with the school, praise them for the fact that they're going to school and usually we start getting ready even several weeks or maybe months before school starts. Maybe in the summer you're going shopping for school clothes, you want to point out school buses as you see them go by, you might want to walk to the school bus stop and see the other kids get out of school the year before so you can see what it's like for them to walk home. You also will probably go to your school orientation, most schools do have them. You're going to meet your school administrator, your school teacher, the teacher that's going to be in your child's classroom and have your child talk to them, see them and maybe they have classroom visit day. By all means, please take advantage of those opportunities. It's very important to familiarize your child with school before school day arrives so that they can feel like a big guy that they really are, to go to school for the first time and allow them to see the school, walk around the school, meet the teacher and then, of course, when school day arrives you might walk them to the school bus. But, mom, dad, please do not cry when you put your child on that bus. Let the child see you happy and proud of them, you can cry when you go home and have your cup of coffee. So for all those new moms and dads bringing their first child to the school on kindergarten day may you have a very happy and non-tearful day. Enjoy. Bye now.