If your little one is starting school this September, you might be distracting yourself through shopping for their school essentials because thinking about that first day drop off is too hard when it feels like just yesterday you fetched them home from the hospital.
It can feel overwhelming and nothing can prepare you for when they're standing at the door in their school uniform for that all important 'first day of school' photo. But with some really great advice from teachers about that first day drop off, you can prepare yourself a little bit more
Here at Mother & Baby, we asked 11 teachers what their best advice is for parents with kids starting school this September. Whether it's nursery, primary school or even big school, just know you're not alone in your feelings!
Ensure your child is used to leaving you
While it's not necessarily a bad thing, building them up to leaving you can make that transition a lot easier
"Many children haven't ever left their parents side and so they find it really challenging leaving their parents to attend school."
Autism Lead Practitioner, Miss Whitaker
Start the day right
Getting into a good routine can really help set up yours and your childs day.
"Ensure your child has the correct uniform and the right stationary. Remember that all important PE kit too on the right days"
Non-teaching SENDCO, Mrs Hollisey-McLean
Label everything
It's so easy for items to go missing and by the end of each school year there's probably enough lost jackets and jumpers to set up a small shop. By labelling your child's clothes, bag, shoes and bottles with personalised labels, you can help prevent any misplaced items.
Don't go overboard on stationary
"Some children come to school with pencil cases full of colouring pencils, sticky nots and highlighters, but not the essentials such as writing pens or rulers. Check what the school requires them to have, which can usually be found on their website."
Miss Woodhead
It's okay for things to go wrong
You might be nervous for your child starting school and thinking what if someone is mean to them or they don't have friends going to the same school, but they're perfectly natural feelings.
"Remember that things might go wrong from time to time, there might be fallouts in friendship groups or not getting along with another child. It's important as a parent though to remain calm and discuss any problems with school as they will want to support you and your child."
Mrs Hollisey-McLean
Get your child to try on their uniform before they start
"If your child has a uniform, keep trying on their uniform as the practise getting it on and off will help them when it’s time to get ready for PE, as many children find it upsetting suddenly having to get dressed more quickly than they are used to."
Former Early Years Education Consultant & Director of Love My Name, Ms Hampson
Don't cry when you drop them off
It's perfectly normal to feel emotional when dropping your child off at school, especially for the very first time. However, if you cry a lot while at the school drop off, it can make it harder on your child. They're bound to feel just as emotional and nervous, and if they can see you cry they might feel more anxious or unsure about school.
If you can't hold back the tears until they're through the school doors, reassure your child that they're only happy tears with how proud you are.
Look at after school activities
"If your child is worrying about making friends, speak to the school about what after school activities they can join in with so they can meet other children with similar interests."
Mrs Hollisey-McLean
Do a daily bag check
"By checking your childs bag after school, you can see that they have the right equipment for the next day. It's easy to lose things!"
Miss Woodhead
Start your routine in advance
It's easy in the holiday's to want to bend the rule slightly, but this can actually be harder for your child to adjust getting into a school routine.
Attend any parent-teacher meetings
"Attend every parents evening as this can really help to support your child and to give you an overview of how your child is doing. It also gives you the chance to speak directly to teachers."
Mrs Hollisey-McLean
Remember that children share everything
Don't talk about anything you don't want to be shared with their teachers and other school staff in front of them, because they will find out about everything from swear words used at home to more personal stories!
What are important things to remember when starting school?
To help make that transition easier, it's important to start preparing a back to school morning routine, to ensure that you can get out of the house without feeling overwhelmed.
You'll be wanting those first day pictures and to be on time, so make sure all packed lunches are done the night before and you have all the uniform essentials you need.
Samantha Ball is a Product & Lifestyle Writer for Mother&Baby and freelanced for the website for two years before joining the team full time. She's a mum of two and loves browsing for the best products and cute outfits.