Tips for Positive School Drop Offs
Positive Drop Offs
Dropping your child off at school (or nursery), can be an emotional time for everyone. Even if your child is really excited about starting and they initially bound off without even so much as a wave to you, once the realisation that they will be going every day, week after week, and the tiredness kicks in, dropping them at school can become a challenge.
So we have put together some top tips to help you and your school starter walk into their school happily and confidently.
- Time your arrival so they walk into school with a friend. If they know someone or have made a new friend at school, perhaps bump into them before you reach the school gates so that they walk in with someone they know.
- Draw a heart or ‘cuddle button’ on their hand and one on yours. Fill them up with cuddles and kisses and tell them to press it for a hug or kiss if they miss you.
- Read your completed copy of The Tale of Starting School. The transition to school can be a gradual process for some children. Revisit their Tale as a way to keep familiarising them with their new school routines, their new school environment and the new people around them. (Reading their Tale can also be a fantastic way of finding out what they did at school that day too!)
- Make a visual timetable to help them understand what to expect each day. Include a picture of the school, a picture of their teacher, the person collecting them and their name for example.
- Organise playdates with friends or family and drop them off so they get used to saying goodbye even if it’s only for 10 mins.
- Be positive! Even when it’s hard, focus on the exciting things they’ll be doing and how much fun they will have.
- Read books like The Colour Monster by Anna Llenas and teach them to talk about different emotions to help them express themselves. This is so helpful when they will be experiencing a range of different emotions when starting school.
- If they find it hard saying goodbye and walking into their classroom, speak to their teacher. If the teacher is aware of it they can help you- they could give your child an important job to do each morning or a focused activity which can help walking into class less daunting if they have direction.
Let us know what you do to help your little one confidently say goodbye in the comments below!
