Make school a fun and exciting time. If you treat school as a thrill, a fun place to go with lots of opportunities and friends, your children will learn to look forward to school and enjoy the lifelong journey.

Create your own annual tradition where you take your child out for the day to get ready for school. Make it a special occasion where you shop for clothing and school supplies, stop for lunch, perhaps catch an afternoon matinee and really live it up for the day. If you have more than one child, find a way to spend a special “get ready for school” day with each child individually.

Help your child find a new friend in their school – preferably before the school year begins. Maybe it is a kid in your neighborhood going to the same school or another student who will be riding the bus with your child, or maybe you can help your child break the ice by introducing them to other students that will be in your child’s class that you meet at the school orientation etc. Having a friend will help ease fears and the anxiety separation that comes from first day – new school adjustments.

Talk to your child about what to expect from the new school and tell them how fun it is going to be. Your local library might have books that discuss going to school or have stories of students who excelled in school after having initial fears etc.

Begin the “morning schedule” a few weeks before school begins. Help your child choose and lay out their tomorrow clothes before going to bed tonight. Go to bed by a certain time, wake up in the morning at a specific time, get dressed, brush teeth, comb hair, have breakfast and get the car to go by a certain time. This builds confidence in your child’s new morning routine and helps prevent unnecessary anxieties the first morning of school.

 Avoid creating jitters in your child by sharing any insecurity you might be feeling as a parent. Your child will be looking to you as an example of how they are supposed to respond to this new situation. Share confidence builders with your kids for now and save tears or worries until they are safely in class and you are well on your way to work.

Prep your child by explaining the arriving at school procedure and how the teachers will be there to show them to their classroom. Remind them that you’ll see them again later that day and will be eager to hear about all the fun they had. Explain your procedure for picking them up at school, bus stop etc.

Remember that teachers are well prepared for tears and separation anxieties from new students on kindergarten’s first day. Let the teachers handle it. Don’t linger. Simply drop off your child as you prepped them for. Smiling and wave from the car and then be on your way. You are creating a routine, and if you make it hard on your child the first day, they will repeat the process every day there after. If you’re okay with the new schedule, they will adapt quickly with no fuss.