Tips for parents who shifted: Help your child adjust to a new school
Work often requires us to travel to new cities and settle there, even if it is for a few years. For children, a new home can be quite an adventure, while school can be slightly scary. Schools are meant to make kids feel safe by giving them a protected, routine-bound, familiar environment. None of these apply to a new school.
If you are planning to shift or have shifted with children to a new place, here are some suggestions to help your child quickly adapt to the new school.
Keep an informed but positive attitude towards the new location
The fear of the unknown is one of the biggest terrors. Find out as much as you can about your new location and the school you plan to send your kid. Share this with the child. Show them images from the web, and visit the school’s social media handles if possible. Many schools allow a virtual or real meeting between new students and teachers before admission. Take full advantage of that. Make sure you at least drive or walk by the school before the first day of class. Do this even if it’s going to be remote classes at the beginning.
Enrol your child for extracurricular activities and sports
Kids interact better in music or art class and the playing field. Make sure you have your kid enrolled for an activity he or she is strong at. They will feel reassured with the familiar set-up where they can showcase their skills, and they will make friends with greater ease than class.
Send your child prepared with all the material and books
Whether it’s a physical classroom or an online one, you don’t want your kid to fumble for books or stationary on day one. Buy whatever they need well in advance so that they merge into the general rhythm of the class. If it’s a physical school, make sure you give enough money to the kid for lunch or pack a good one that can be shared with prospective friends.
Avoid a rushed morning on the first day of the new school
Keep everything ready the night before. On the morning of the first day at a new school, your kid should wake up after a good sleep, get ready without hurry, wear an already ironed uniform, grab a packed bag, and just set off.