Wealden Times | WT199 | September 2018 | Education supplement inside

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And back they go…
New pencil cases stocked, oversized blazers ready, nametapes sewn in, Hilary Wilce
advises how to support your children as they start a new school year
The start of the school
year is always a big deal
for a child, and not only
when they are starting at a new
school, or moving up to the
next stage of education. Every
new school year brings a raft of
new things – friends, subjects,
teachers and classrooms.
So how can you, as a parent,
help your child make the most
of this next year in their school
journey? Of course, so much
depends on how old they are.
Helping a pre-schooler taking
their first step through the school
gate is entirely different from
supporting your teenage son
or daughter as they embark on
their sixth form or college years.
Bur some things are universal.
It’s always important, for
example, to keep any worries
to yourself and encourage your
child to see school as something
of real value, to be fully lived
and enjoyed. Put the emphasis
on learning, rather than on
doing well in tests and grades
and encourage your child
to work hard and join in.
Keep a weather eye out for
serious problems and try to
tackle them in partnership
with the school if they should
arise, but be very careful not
to make a mountain out of
every molehill. There are
inevitably many bumps as a
child travels through school.
Above all, remember it’s your
child’s school life, not yours,
and don’t force your dreams
and goals on them. Whenever
there is a disappointment, take
a step back and look at how
your child is feeling about
things, not how you are.
The early years
Prepare your pre-schooler for the big
step up to school by making sure
they can do all the practical basics.
Teachers complain bitterly about new
arrivals who can’t use cutlery, put on
their shoes or – almost unbelievably
– aren’t even toilet trained.
Also make sure they understand the
basics of how to have a conversation
(it involves both talking and listening!)
and make sure they’ve visited, or at
least driven past, their new school.
As they start school ensure pick-up
routines are clear to your child and
punctual. The sobs of tired children
whose parents or carers haven’t turned
up on time are a pitiful sound. And
also make sure your after-school
routines are homely and quiet. This
isn’t the time for a frantic round of
activities or drawn-out playdates.
As children move on through school,
they will develop a growing awareness
of both academic expectations and
social complexities. Reassure your
child that although you expect them
to work hard and do their best, you
don’t expect them to come home
with full marks in every test.
Children’s lives are increasingly
blighted by exams and classroom
competition, so make sure you aren’t
ramping up the same pressure at home.
And help them steer their way
through the social jungle by
encouraging them to be kind and
thoughtful, but also to always be
themselves. Help them see that
sometimes other children have
problems which can make them mean
or aggressive, but that most quarrels
blow over, and that it’s perfectly normal
for friendships to flower and fade.
Primary-age children also need you
to think about how best to regulate the
pace of their lives. How much screen
time is sensible during this school year?
How many out-of-school activities do
they need? The answers to these kinds
of questions vary every year, but the
important thing is that you are the one
in control, and not giving in to things
you feel aren’t helping your child have
a happy and productive school life.
WT Education Supplement
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