The first day of school can be an exciting, stressful and chaotic. Making check lists helps alleviate stress by helping to make you and your students are prepared. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends you taking the following steps before the first day of school:
- Make sure your child is registered for school. Be certain of when the first day of school is and what time the school day starts and ends.
- Be prepared for lunch time by knowing when it is, how much it costs, the process for buying lunch and if your child will need a snack during the school day.
- Make sure you’ve filled out all of the necessary health and emergency contact forms.
- Make sure your child know how he or she is getting to school. Either show them their bus stop and tell them which bus they need to take, or helping them find a safe way to walk to and from school.
- Discuss afterschool arrangements with your child so he or she knows where to go when classes get out.
- Reassure your child that it’s normal if they feel anxious before the first day of school and that other kids are probably nervous, too.
- Remind your child that starting school will be fun. They’ll see old friends and meet new ones.
- If you’re having real difficulty and your child is really trying to avoid going back to school, talk to them about the reasons. If necessary, contact the school’s principal, guidance counselor and school nurse to make sure they are aware of the problems.
- Know what to do on sick days. The day will come that your child will get sick and not be able to go to school It always helps to know the symptoms of common illnesses and what you should do about them. A fever or a cough are the usual signs, but there are others. If you suspect your child is sick, you may need to take them to a doctor for proper medications before they go back to the classroom. To learn more about the common illnesses and their symptoms, visit… http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/index.html.
