Some young children may enter pre school with a great deal of composure and self assurance, while others may feel very insecure and need their mothers or someone close to them by their side until they feel comfortable in the new surroundings. Some children may even show a lot of eagerness when first talking about school,  but when the great day comes, they may cling to their mothers and show unwillingness to remain at school by themselves. This reluctance may be temporary and if handled properly will be minimal.

We should remember, that this is the first time, the child may be separating from the parents for such a long time and thus we should make this weaning from home gradual and smooth. The following suggestions will help you as parents to make your child’s adjustments in school easier.

• Prepare him / her for the school. Explain to him / her that school is a place where many children come to play, sing and hear stories. Also that they can play and have fun with various toys.
• Be prepared yourself to accompany your child to the class for about two or three weeks, so that the child feels that the school is asecure place. For the first week the mother / father is allowed to stay in the class, which will gradually help the child accept the school.
• After a week if you find that the child is slowly adjusting, don’t leave the school premises. For sometime stay outside the class, so that    if the child needs you, the teacher can approach you.
• Telling the anxious child “There’s nothing to be afraid of” for “You are too big to cry this way”, will make him more frightened. Do not     under any condition threaten the child and refrain from making such statements.
• If you are over anxious or act annoyed or show reluctance to remain with the child at school, the child may feel even more upset. So be  patient, and don’t push the child to settle in school faster.
• Though in the beginning, the child will cling to you, gradually you should try and let him / her do things on his / her own. So let him /
  her choose his / her own toys and activities.
• When you are leaving the school premises, make sure that you wish the child good-bye and then leave promptly. If you try to sneak out when the child is busy playing, it will make adjustments more difficult.

Special Note : Kindly co-operate with the school authorities in relation to the expectation from you at all times, especially in the initial stages of the child’s adjustment to the new environment.