Preparing for Big School 2

As mentioned in my previous post, I did a sweep of the internet to look at things we need to prepare Baby for in the run up to starting primary school.  Other than preparing him for a new environment (which I will discuss in a later post), there were a number of practical skills that were consistently highlighted as useful to have for children starting school.  I have mentioned in a previous post that being able to handle a packed lunch was considered useful so we have started practicing using sandwich boxes, thermal lunch boxes, etc.  We frame it as a fun activity like going to a picnic so it doesn't feel too contrived.

Another thing that may be useful is being able to change into their PE kit at school.  Baby can change in to and out of trousers, pants, socks and shoes but he sometimes still struggles with putting a top on and he isn't very good with buttons so we will need to work on these actions before he starts school.  Practice makes perfect and the only real way to do it is to get him to dress himself daily, which means factoring in a bit more time for him to get ready in the mornings and when he is preparing for bed.  My husband deals with this mainly and he is very patient and persistent.  Part of the battle is getting Baby to concentrate on the task at hand; lots of positive reinforcement, elimination of distractions, and effecive negotiations are all needed to help him focus on the task.  So far he has been practicing with his normal clothes.  We will be ordering his school uniform soon and will be practicing with these items when they arrive.  Trying these on will help him prepare mentally for Big School as well- feeling grown up matters to him and helping him look forward to this new exciting adventure by talking about it as part of growing up will, we hope, help him adjust to his new school.