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

146 replies

SorchaMumsnet · 03/08/2017 10:37

Mouse doesn’t like school... she loves it! If your little one is starting school or nursery soon, Mouse's Big Day is the perfect reassuring picture book to read together.

It's a big day for Mouse – her first day at school! But she doesn’t want to go. Not one bit. Luckily there's a class full of new friends waiting for her, and Mouse is about to learn just how brilliant school can be.

In Mouse's Big Day, you will meet the cast of adorable animal characters from Twit Twoo School, drawn by the award-winning and bestselling illustrator of the What the Ladybird Heard adventures, Lydia Monks.

Get ready for school with these Mouse's Big Day activity sheets

For a chance to win a copy of the book in a bundle of gorgeous picture books (worth £100) from Macmillan Children's Books, including The Detective Dog and Little Red, just tell us - how did you or how do you plan to prepare your child for the first day of school or nursery?

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This discussion is sponsored by Macmillan Children's Books and will end on Thursday 31 August

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How do you prepare your child for the first day of school or nursery?
OP posts:
fannyanddick · 09/08/2017 10:53

I prepared by talking to her about going to nursery in a positive way. Lots of friends, toys to play with, big girl like your brother etc. Also by visiting in advance. She is excited! Also glad that she is long potty trained as it takes away that worry.

DrablittleCrab · 09/08/2017 11:37

We try and talk positively about school once a week or so (don't want to overwhelm dd).
We talk about her finding new friends, how she will learn how to read etc.
We point school out each time we go past as well.

biddy4 · 09/08/2017 11:59

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CopperPan · 09/08/2017 13:32

Help them be familiar with the building and environment by bringing them to school runs for the older dc, and school events, and taster afternoons.

Leeds2 · 09/08/2017 14:20

Take them to visit the school, and meet their teacher, if you can so that they can picture where they will be going.
Tell them lots of positive things, such as how much fun they will have, new friends they will make etc.
Involve them in buying the uniform, and make sure they practise getting dressed and undressed.

asuwere · 09/08/2017 14:44

My DC have all been quite happy to go to school with no preparation - they have all been counting down till it's time to start! Either I'm lucky or they all look forward to getting away from me Confused

Dangermouse80 · 09/08/2017 14:50

Stay and play sessions have really helped, with my son due to start school this sept. He went with others from his own nursery so he had some familiar faces.
Otherwise we have talked about school / read some books and walked past the school lots. He can't wait and wants to go now!!

Teaformeplease · 09/08/2017 17:10

DD went to nursery so was well used to routines and being looked after by other people. We had a settling in visit to the school and I bought her a book about starting school which she loved. We had lots of chats about it, bought the uniform well in advance and she was looking forward to being a big girl in school.

MsMommie · 09/08/2017 19:09

I bought him a school uniform and let him pick a dinosaur back pack..., told him he's a big school boy now.
I haven't done anything cute or made a massive deal of it.
He's going to school and he has no anxiety so seems pointless.
I will probably get him a little card and present at the end of his first week though.
I haven't done all the cute stuff everyone else has done Hmm

Vonklump · 09/08/2017 19:10

For school we did an induction session. School gave out a great booklet to read with the children going through the routines.

We talked about when DC was big and started school. They also got to choose their own water bottle and packed lunch box.

RedStripeHoliday · 09/08/2017 19:14

We 'play school'. She starts in September and we have a school bag for her with some cute stationary and some maths and letters books. I make a cosy space on the floor with cushions and we do them early in the morning whilst I mainline caffeine Grin

Queenofthedrivensnow · 09/08/2017 19:33

I didn't need to anything dd1 did it all. She's been reminding dd2 for a year that she will be in the big playground with her when she starts school! Dd2 is already well known among the bigger kids so I know she will be mothered to bits on the first day.

Otherwise my two always have a new hair band to match their uniform. School bags are new or freshly washed. Uniform and shoes are sparkling. My two know they are my pride and joy and skip in to school and nursery Grin

bigchris · 09/08/2017 19:37

We got a lot of books from the library about starting school and also watched the big school show on CBeebies

My favourite book was topsy and Tim start school and the Charlie and Lola one Smile

bigchris · 09/08/2017 19:37

I am absolutely too small for school, dd still loves to read it Smile

Alexandra87 · 09/08/2017 20:11

At dcs school the teachers come out and do a home visit before they start. I think it helps that they meet them on familiar ground. They also have a quick chat with the parents about child's likes/dislikes/interests in case they are not good at speaking up for themselves at first. With my eldest I arranged a few play dates with other kids from his nursery I knew would be going so he had somebody familiar to play with until he built up friendships with other classmates. My first 2 have gone in without a backward glance. Fingers crossed number 3 is the same next year

ohlittlepea · 09/08/2017 20:12

With nursery we visited and did stay and play sessions and read stories like 'Puddle's big step' and 'Princess Polly starts nursery'. I do think reading really helped my daughter as it gave her a time she could ask questions and talk about it all.
She absolutely loves Lydia Monks drawings and had a birthday party themed of 'What the Ladybird Heard' :).

TellMeItsNotTrue · 09/08/2017 21:00

Watching starting school episodes of children's programmes, and reading starting school books, then acting it out with teddies and dolls

Nearer the time we did a more structured schools game going through the stages of the day so she got used to the time table, obviously not to time Grin just "so what happens when the teachers says it's time to come in after lunch?" line the toys up, they worked for a minute then it was home time etc

Getting a mini uniform made for favourite doll, it hung (on BAB hanger) in wardrobe with the real uniform until first day, so excited to dress the doll that it was no problem dressing her she had to be ready before doll could get ready

Whitelisbon · 09/08/2017 22:24

We read a couple of books about starting nursery, and walked past it regularly to see where the big girls and boys go.
The dts had a day to go see It, but it was 6 months before they started so they'd completely forgotten by the time they started. Some of their friends started before them though, so we talked about going to play with them, and about all the fun toys.
On the day they went in happily without a backwards glance, so something worked!

theresamustgo · 09/08/2017 22:39

Home visit from the reception teachers really helped.

lovewatchingrainfall · 09/08/2017 22:43

We are reading a lot of books about starting school. She has also been setting up her toys a little class room so they can behave. For me though it's not about settling her into it, it is settling myself into the fact she is starting school that is problem

Sierra259 · 09/08/2017 23:57

DC1 starts school in September. I took her with me to buy some of the uniform and we've tried it on at home. She had a brief induction for a couple of hours with the class and we've tried to talk a bit about the things she might do at school.

rockshandy · 10/08/2017 00:05

DD2 is starting school in September. We went to all the open afternoons and evenings and her new teacher visited her nursery school too. We have looked at pictures of the teacher and classroom assistant and she has learned their names.

We also let her pick out her bag and water bottle and some pencils with her name on even though they don't need pencils yet.

But I have to be honest, DD2 cannot wait and is counting down the days. She is a very sociable child and the thought of making lots of new friends really lights her up.

mom2010 · 10/08/2017 03:20

I have been reading my little boy "Harry and the dinosaurs go to school", in an attempt to make him more school savvy. I am a major bookworm and believe books are the best way to introduce kids about new experiences.

Blahblahblueblee · 10/08/2017 05:39

We drove past and went for walks nearby to make her familiar with the area. We talked about her new teachers and read a little book about school. She tried on her uniform a few times because she was so excited but it got her used to dressing herself in it. We made sure she stayed in a good sleep routine so she wouldn't get too tired.

MrsGabor · 10/08/2017 07:55

We had a few stay-and-play sessions at nursery before the summer holidays, then DS's keyworker is coming to visit in September. His first week will involve only staying as long as he's happy and me or DH being on site but out of sight.

As a family, we've talked about nursery, and he goes to a crèche in term time on a Friday and Sunday so has had time away from me regularly.

Sitting still is a whole other business! But we do storytime at playgroup & the library so I'm hoping he'll at least start to manage short sit downs.