First day at a boarding school can be the day full of anxiety and fear. Staying away from parents can be difficult for children. But for parents, it can be a huge adjustment than it is for children. You may find it difficult to deal with challenges produced from children’s anxiety. With these concerns, going to a boarding school can make it hard for children to find comfort and mingle among fellow students.
If you’re like most parents, you want everything to go as smoothly as possible. There are a few things you can do to make the transition easier for your children.
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In our previous blog: A guide to dealing with homesickness at boarding schools, we have covered these issues and provided solutions for dealing with homesickness for both students and parents.
Continuing our efforts to address the issues new students may face. This article talks about solutions and tips for parents in preparing a child for a new boarding school. It will also cover the admission and top boarding school’s fee details, admission criteria, and best boarding school facilities.
Let’s get it started,
1. Tell your child about the benefits he can look forward to in the new school
The best boarding schools in Haryana, Bangalore and Dehradun not only focus on academics, but also on discovering their hidden talents and hobbies, nurturing them to be the best version of themselves. Parents should offer their kids this opportunity, so they can realise their greatest potential.
First and foremost, talk about how well-equipped your new school is, this includes things like classroom facilities, sports, and other fun things they learn and do at the new school. Telling them how boarding school an ideal place, where they will learn about things, they like the most. Get a chance to mature and become the better person after finishing high school or college, will surely have long-term benefits.
2. Talk about your child’s concerns
Surely a one-size-fits-all approach may not work for every child but having a discussion with your child about their fears and concerns with going to a new school is an important part of the transition process. You can do it in number of ways, but the most effective way is to listen and respond. This will help prepare them mentally ahead of time, before meeting up regularly with classmates during school hours. Your child will feel comfortable talking about his/hers’ concerns if you make it clear that you’re willing to hear what they have to say. Empathize and help them out with the overcoming these concerns.
3. School at home
Play school is a fantastic way for you and your child to have fun, learn new things and spend time together. Though I may not work for kids above 8 years. If you can pull that off for your kid who is little older, it can work for them as well. You can use props to make it more fun with creating a classroom like environment Have your child learn things they could learn in the boarding school, like packing their backpacks, keep their books and stuffs in right places. Make their bed after waking up etc.
Get your older child involved. When you introduce your child to the idea of a new school, it’s important to help them understand that this move will not be the end of the world. You can do this by sharing stories about your own experiences at school. Ask your child if they know any teachers or friends who went through similar situations—this will help them feel more at ease about going away from home for the first time.
5. Educate them on the value of friendship
Teach them how to find friends at school and make new ones! Helping kids learn about making friends is one of our favourite things about home-schooling (and since many parents who home-school have large families with multiple children in different grades), but it’s even more important when you’re sending them off into this brave new world without any guidance at all from grownups! This will help them find friends easily and get along for a better bond with together.
6. Set a Fixed Schedule
The ability to make decisions and act responsibly is facilitated by following a pattern, and having a daily plan helps simplify your child’s adjustment to the rigidity of a preschool environment. Routines and daily regimens help children learn more effectively. Routines offer the opportunity to learn about chronological order, order of events, and temporal concepts. Smoother transitions and mental preparation for the day ahead are made possible by established routines, which also offer structures for innovative learning.
7. Social Skills
Children’s social and emotional development varies when they first start school. Your kid should be cooperative, curious, and self-assured when they go to school. Inform your child of the chances to begin acquiring the following virtues at home. Children must feel confident in themselves if they are to believe they can succeed. Confident children are more likely to try new things, try again if they don’t succeed the first time, and produce solutions on their own. This will allow children to have accountability with doing tasks on their own.
8. Visit the school together
You might wish to make a few trips there before the first day of classes at the new school. Start today by visiting the school, even if there is a formal orientation day right before the start of classes. Show your kid the classrooms, the playground, and other locations on the campus where they can feel at home.
Ask the teacher if you can take your child to the playground and observe how he or she interacts with other children. Look out for any signs of bullying or social exclusion, which can be indicators that your child may be at risk of bullied in future years. It’s a most recommended way to help your kid make better friends at his new school. The more your child interacts with the school, the less anxious she will be on the first day due to her fear of the unknown.
Conclusion
New school can be scary, and its important that we realise that children are resilient and will take time adjust in a new school environment. If your child has concerns, there are steps you can take to help them feel more comfortable in the process and make it easier for them to adjust.
Our tips will give you some ideas about how best to prepare your child for a new school experience. By taking time before starting school this year, you can help make sure everyone gets off on the right foot!
Best of luck
If you require any assistance, finding the right boarding school for your child, please feel free us at @boardingschoolsofIndia.