Preparing for Your Child's First Day of School

Moms on the Move

by Pattie Morales

This is the last month of summer vacation. As Moms, we all have to endure the hustle and bustle of preparing our children for their first day of school. My question to Moms this month is: How do you prepare yourself, your family and your child for the first day of school?

Pattie - Mother of Six We have moved several times due to my husband's job, and unfortunately, our children have attended several schools as a result. It is always heartbreaking to see your child go through the process of letting old friends go while trying to make new friends in a new place where they may or may not be accepted by other students. Mostly, I have always worked to make sure our children have the social skills to make friends quickly by being respectful and empathetic toward others. It is important for children to be the best friend they can be to others without doing anything that will jeopardize their educational goals.

Shandra - Mother of Four I have one child who will be starting kindergarten this September, and for Moms who have first timers, it isn't easy for the child or the Mom to drop off your Baby to start their venture into the real world. I think the best way to prepare for "The Big Day" is to try and have social time with other children and parents. That will help the child learn social skills, and you get to see how they interact with others. You praise them for the good and talk to them about sharing and respecting others.

Dolores - Mother of Four When my first daughter was getting ready to start school, she was so excited. That's all she talked about until that day arrived, and Mommy gave her a hug and a kiss and started to walk away. I guess you can say all of a sudden she was not excited anymore. Her teacher was very nice and asked if I wanted to stay a little bit until my daughter felt comfortable. Of course, I stayed, and within fifteen minutes or so, my daughter came to me and said "Mommy, why are you still here?" I felt a lot better, too, because I wasn't exactly very happy the first day either.

Marissa - Mother of Three We moved a few times in the first ten years of our children's lives, but I always got addresses and phone numbers of their close friends and some of the teachers that they liked. If any of my children did happen to bring up their old friends, I'd let them either write a letter or give them call, but they, of course, always made new friends.

Whether it is the first day of their academic career in preschool/kindergarten or the beginning of another school year, we all face some of the same issues. Hopefully these tips will help new Moms to adjust to the prospect of their child's first steps toward becoming the people they will one day be.