Planning ahead is key for a smooth start to school 

It’s big news that Prince George is starting school this September. We can only imagine the preparations going on inside Kensington Palace in advance of his big day. While you won’t have Royal Protection issues to consider, to your children their first day will be as ‘big news’ for them as Prince George’s is to him. And, like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, you’ll be wanting to do everything you can to make it a positive experience for your children too. Advanced preparation is key.

Parents on our courses often tell us that they avoid talking about potentially worrying events such as going for vaccinations or starting school for fear of unnerving their children. The opposite is mainly true: many children find transitions stressful and most respond best when they are set up well in advance.

At the Parenting Partnership we teach proactive, positive parenting to help good parents become great. Whether you have a little Prince George or a little Alice getting ready for a successful transition to a new school or a new school year, this is a time to put your positive parenting skills to work, proactively. While savouring the last moments of summer we also want to be preparing our children for the transition ahead rather than leaving things to chance. Setting your children up to feel successful not only helps them cope and enjoy the start of the school year; it also motivates them and builds vital self-esteem. You want to take the time now to prepare, talk through and most importantly, listen. Think of this as an investment in helping things go smoothly.

Here are five tops tips to set up for a successful start to your new school year:

1. Adjust sleep times: Ease into the school sleep routine. Going cold turkey from relaxed holiday evenings and late mornings is unlikely to benefit your young student. Perhaps a bit of extra outside running around time will tire them out in the last few days of the holidays . Starting now, pop little ones into bed earlier with an extra relaxed story and gently get them up earlier in the morning in time for a cuddle.

2. Get comfortable with the uniform and kit: If it all seems new and uncomfortable, let her wear her new clothes now and practice any buttons, zips or laces that are tricky. Will they need to change into gym kit? Have a few relaxed dry-runs at home to help her feel on top of things. Even if your child is not changing schools get her to try on her uniform for fit so she doesn’t find herself squeezing into last year’s on the first day. Pack and unpack the backpack and have fun thinking about what will go in the lunchbox if you have one. Planning and practicing is our mantra.

3. Talk, listen and listen some more: Talk through how the first day will go. Drive past or have a dry-run walking to the new school. Listen for any anxiety or worry. Empathise, help them talk about their feelings and acknowledge any difficult emotions even if it is hard to do. You might even like to set up a short role play on any tricky bits such as walking into the classroom or playtime. Do this several times before the big day. We don’t want our children to be nervous, scared or worried but that might just be how they are feeling and it’s good to let them know that’s normal and okay. We know that helping children name and talk about any difficult feelings is the first step to helping them address and deal with them. “I get that. It can be scary walking into a new classroom and wondering where you are going to sit. Why don’t we have a practice.”

4. Prepare the routine: Get your children involved and talk through the morning and evening routines. Children love visuals so how about creating some images of the things they need to do to get ready for school in the mornings and let your child decide in what order they are going to do them. Choice empowers them, conveys respect and can help them buy into a new routine. Perhaps let them decide where they will keep their new school belongings. Chat through what happens at the end of the school day. They will be tired and hungry. What will be the routine? Work it out in advance so everyone is comfortable and knows exactly what to expect.

5. Celebrate the transition: Have a family lunch or dinner and talk about everyone’s favourite summer memories. Hopefully some laughs will ease any stress. Appreciate your children for all they have contributed and talk about and celebrate the transition to the new school year. What are they looking forward to and what is exciting? Then all head off for an early night. Good luck and have fun.

Being a parent is one of, if not the, toughest jobs on the planet; virtually no training, on duty 24/7, steep learning curve, guilt and feelings of not quite getting things right are all too familiar for many. Building trust through effective positive communication and a proactive approach can make this job a whole lot more fun and rewarding. To learn how to bring out the best in your children sign up and get 10% off our course price click here .