On the last day of PreK4, or rather ‘blue group’ at our public Montessori school, my son was so excited to exclaim that he was now officially in kindergarten, or ‘red group!’ He couldn’t wait to be one of the oldest students in the room where he started as a three year old. However, after a summer of learning how to ride a bike without training wheels, losing three teeth, drawing countless pictures and pretty much determining his own play schedule outside of camp hours, the allure of being in the red group wore off.
For the past few weeks, several adults have asked him if he is excited for school. If there is one defining truth about my son it is that he will never lie to anyone about how he is feeling. The answer was always a sigh or a loud ‘no!” which often prompted the adults to think something was wrong with his answer, or worse, try to convince him otherwise. After reflecting and observing him, I realized he is likely very excited to see friends, his teacher and return to the works he loves but the anticipation that the adults are expressing is overwhelming him.
Back to school can be bittersweet time for both children and adults. Regardless of whether your child was enrolled in a structured camp all summer or played freely, going back to school marks a change in routine. Children react to routine changes in varied ways. Some might just roll with it while some kids might express apprehension.
As adults, caregivers, and educators, we must be respectful of all reactions to change. The media portrays children as smiling, excitable and anticipatory on the first day of school. But if you enter any early childhood classroom on the first day of school, you will witness several crying children, who have just been separated from their caring adult, maybe for the first time ever. Our over-emphasis on the joy we are experiencing as adults may make the start of school feel a bit anxiety producing for some children.
It’s okay if children (and adults) feel anxious or excited about the start of a new school year! Regardless of how everyone is feeling, getting used to a new routine can be challenging at first! Here are simple ways to prepare your family.
Talk about school in a positive way. Normalize any feeling your child has about the start of a new school year.
Limit the number of questions about the unknown. For example, “Are you excited to make friends? Are you looking forward to meeting your teacher?” These are all future events in which a young child cannot yet conceptualize.
If you know your child might struggle with a back to school routine, try out these checklists! They are a great way to help a child visualize their morning and build independence.
At Mountain Laurel Montessori, we strive to build a seamless home to school connection with you all next year. Stay tuned for more ways that we will connect with you to ensure your child has a smooth transition to school!
These freebie checklists are available to download here!
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