How do you prepare your child for the first day of school or nursery?

Keep talking about nursery the week before taking them helped my little girl get used to the idea.
reassure them that you are coming back for them later.
stay for the first 10 minuets and watch them to reassure yourself too.
Always say good bye do not sneak off they need to get used to it.

I made sure she was used to time away from me, and had attended play group. Schools always have introductory sessions. Also read books about starting school and played imaginary games with her dolls about it. Above all this all needs doing in a very matter of fact way, so you and the child don't get anxious about it.

We tried on all her uniform in advance. Bought school stuff together. Packed her p.e kit. Included her in any child friendly ways. Walked past the school too

I made it a special occasion, tried on the uniform, went to shop and bought a backpack that she liked, bought her own pencils for doing stuff at home that she had done in school so she could show me what she had been doing

My son starts nursery in 2 weeks with my little brother who is also the same age. The nursery teacher was my teacher as a child and when my father passed, she really took care of me. I really trust her so luckily I don't feel I need to worry about him settling in, especially with his (younger) nephew there. Still got to buy some white shirts and grey socks and he will be a picture!
We've also sent the dummy and nappies packing this past week! Can't believe he is growing up so fast

Lots of social stories and chats and plans for a cuppa with my best friend that day!

Before my little boy started nursery we got a few picture books from the library like 'Bears first day at nursery' and showed him how much fun he was going to have. He loves nursery now!

freshley ironed uniform , big breakkie and some words of encouragement thats all they need x

We spent a lot of time preparing our dd as she is very shy- we took her to induction days and practised by playing 'school' at home.

My daughter is starting playgroup next month so we went for a couple of informal visits last term and she has a settling in day coming up. Other than that we just chat about it as a happy place to go and have bought some special playgroup stickers!

I'm reading this thread with interest as my son will start full time school in January. In my local area the children start on the term after their third birthday. I can't believe my little baby will be starting so soon. He's had a lot of change recently as we've had a new baby and he's joined a new nursery one day a week. To make matters more difficult, our son will be starting Welsh school and we don't speak Welsh at home so it's going to be a lot for him.

To help our son we've tried meeting up with other families who will have children going to the same school and we take our son to different groups and classes. We keep the same routines every week but especially around bed time where stories are a huge part of winding down and relaxing before bed.

My eldest enjoyed playing at the nursery pre-school and talking about what would happen so I will do this for my second son when he's 3.

I have prepared 2 children for their first day at school. We attended open days and took pictures, we made our own little book about school and what happens and looked at it every few days in the run up. Plenty of rest and cuddles in the days prior and quiet and calm routines before and after school while they settle. Lots of choice of bags, socks, hairstyles, lunches/snacks. I provide a special something that belongs to me (but that I wouldn't mind losing) eg. my purse (almost emptied) a key or something else the child associates with me. Helps them to be sure I'm coming back!

Talk for weeks before about how exciting it will be and all the new friends she can meet

We just had to change nurseries so we've had a lot of settling in to do. After settling in days we've talked to our little ones about her new friends and constantly ask her about her day. We've also practised lots of the songs/nursery rhymes so circle time is not so daunting!

I'll make use of any visit days to the nursery and induction processes. I'll also talk lots about the new experience with my child, including the use of 'social stories'

We had induction mornings, and we've done some play dates with people who will be her nursery- mates. We also had a book called 'my first day at nursery' which she wanted constantly.
We also talked through things that might happen, and things that might be challenging- but we would work at, until we could manage!

My dd has been deferred for a year due to ASD
I have 12 months now to get her ready!
We will be focusing on toileting skills, getting dressed and undressed, in addition to following rules and social skills

Induction days were great help. I also tried distancing myself more so letting them go out for a few hours without me with my friends or siblings etc

Our school were fantastic in introducing my daughter into the environment over a few months before she was due to start. She had several visits with her nursery key worker and one on her own (with her new classmates). It helped her feel less anxious. We'd talk about it at home, read books about school and watch her favourite characters on TV having their first days too (Topsy and Tim!).

I found settling in sessions were great for preparing dd for nursery. Us appearing confident and positive about it must have helped too

My DCs have been in nursery since they were babies as I work and the nursery is adjacent to the school. We have always referred to nursery as school and they have just moved up classes so they have never known any different.

With Nursery I took her along to a pre joining day. Hopefully school will allow the same

We went to the open day and the summer fair, and we've gone to the school to hand in various bits of paperwork rather than post it, just so DS gets used to where it is, how long it takes to walk there, etc.

We've watched a few programmes that have had a theme of starting school; Topsy & Tim, Apple Tree House, so he can see that other children will have the same worries as he might have. Nursery have also been great, setting up 'classroom sessions' to work on phonics and numbers in a quieter, slightly more formal atmosphere to get them all used to how school will differ from nursery.

Other than that I've tried to play it down; whenever people go overboard and talk about how exciting it is and what a big change it will be he gets upset, so I'm trying to make sure he realises it is a big change without being dramatic and over-excited about it.

When my daughter first stare red we read a few books about a characters first day at school and watched episodes of programmes she liked where the characters were starting school. We also did role pluwoth her dolls and said what we thought might happen. We did all of this in the months running up to starting and it seemed to work well as she had no anxiety about starting. We have followed the same plan for younger sibling too.