The move from nursery to big school can be a scary one and not just for your little one. There are many changes that your child will need to get used to like putting things away after themselves, new faces and potentially longer hours away from mum. A childcare provider in Kew has shared a list of handy tips to help your child transition from nursery to big school.
Role Play to Help Them Get Comfortable
Change can be scary and in preparation for big school, you can rehearse all of their expected daily activities together. This could involve running through how to go to the toilet alone and other tasks that must be done independently like getting changed for PE. This can help your child to settle in well and feel less anxious about school as they’ll already know what to do.
Potty Training
To help get your child potty trained for nursery, get your child to go along with you to the shops to pick their own potty so that they are a part of the process and engaged. This should be at a time that’s right for them. You can tell if your child’s ready by their ability to tell you when they need to go to wee for themselves or can go an hour without having a wet nappy. To get your child in the habit of using their potty, you can encourage them to go after a meal which can trigger the need to poo.
Talk About How Exciting the Move Will Be
Talking about school in a positive light and the adventure that awaits can help your child to feel optimistic and less stressed. You can talk about all the new friends that they will be able to make, the games that they can play together and about how nice their teachers will be.
Attend Open Days in Advance
Open days can help your child to get familiar with their new school environment, making the transition less scary as they know what to expect and where everything is before starting. Spend this opportunity by getting to know the reception teachers with your child so that they can feel more comfortable before starting and ask them any questions that they have got.
Acknowledge Non-Verbal Communication
If your child is feeling anxious or upset, you might see that they’ve regressed in their behaviour by being less vocal or have gone a few steps back in their development. This might be pooing or weeing in their nappy when they are potty trained. If your child is showing these signs, sit down and speak to them about how they are feeling so that you can tackle these feelings together.