Finally, the first day of school has arrived. Every school celebrates the arrival of the first graders. The school administration, teachers and the “big boys” of the second grade usually organize a party with theater, music and speeches. This is followed by the emotional passage of mom and dad into the classroom for those who are starting school.
The first day of school is usually a Saturday
But new things can be scary. It is all the more important that both parents participate in this event. That is why some federal states always set the first day for ABC shooters on Saturday. If this is not the case, working parents should take time off if possible. The school-age child will certainly be happy when grandparents, godparents or close family friends celebrate the day with him. Included in all this: the school cone. Filled with sweets, but also with pens, educational games and other useful things, it makes the start of the new phase of life easier.
Crayons, children’s bike helmets and children’s food tested
- School supplies: Having the right equipment for classes and the journey to school is important for a good start to school life. Stiftung Warentest, for example, Sets of colored pencils and fiber pens, as well as paints examined for harmful substances as well as the Testing school backpacks 2019 – now free – explains why comfort and visibility are so important.
- Food and drinks: We tested many foods that children like Baby cereals, Apple’s Jam It is Tighten. During the tests of Chicken and vegetable nuggets It is French fries It is mortadella We found recommended products – not too fatty, too salty and high in calories.
- Technology: In the test of Kids Smartwatches Find out which watches work well and what parents and children can keep in mind to ensure sensible use. The test of Game Apps explains the risks that applications pose and how parents can protect children from content that is not suitable for children.
- Advisor: My school son informs parents and grandparents about all topics related to school – from choosing a school, to developmental milestones in primary school age, to media consumption. The 320-page book costs 24.90 euros and is available in… test.de store can be ordered.
A threshold – not just for children…
What many parents don’t know or only realize later is that school changes not only their daily life, but also their relationship with their child. There are several reasons for this: For the school-age child, other authorities, such as their teachers, come to the fore. In addition, a school-age child has to live at school without their parents, find their own place and new friends, and experience their own successes and failures. This changes the child’s identity. They grow into the role of a school-age child. They feel older and bigger than a kindergarten child, even though they are one of the little ones at school. As a rule, the faster they want to become more independent and self-sufficient. Parents need to learn to let their children go.
…but also for parents
Many parents find this step difficult: letting go. First, they have to become “real” parents of school-age children. It usually takes some time for school, family and work to be connected so that everything runs smoothly. School plays a more important role in family life than kindergarten, for example. Parents and children are less free. Regularity and punctuality are becoming more important. Unauthorized absence of school-age children due to holidays, for example, can result in a fine. A school expert explains, How to Grant Appropriate Leave to School-Age Children.
Trust the child
Parents take on new tasks: they can get involved in the school and monitor it homework their children and expect more performance and discipline from them. Homework, in particular, often leads to arguments. It is important for parents to try to trust their children. Even if they are not the fastest in the class. Recognition, support and trust help them. In addition, most children do well, even in school.
Promote anticipation for school
Sitting quietly, listening with concentration, working independently, making friends: school time brings many new things to a child. It is exciting and thrilling, but it can also be tiring and scary. Parents can help their children find and develop their new identity as a school child. The transition phase usually begins during kindergarten and ends during the first or second school year. It is good when parents convey to their children that an exciting, sometimes exhausting, but fundamentally exciting phase of life is beginning.
Take advantage of the “open days”.
It is important for the prospective pupil to be able to talk to his parents about the school and to feel that he is being taken seriously: he should be able to say what he imagines the school to be like, what he hopes for or fears. If he feels supported by his parents, it will certainly be easier for him to start. It is particularly useful for the child to get to know the school and the playground before the first day of school. Many schools now invite kindergarten groups from the catchment area for trial visits or an “open day”. Kindergarten children can walk around the school in peace and sometimes take part in lessons.
Go to parents’ night
Many schools invite parents to the evenings before the first day of school. Parents should not miss this opportunity. This is often the first time you will enter your child’s future school. You can look around the classroom, talk to other parents and meet the educational staff – teachers and, if necessary, educators or social workers. This is important. Regardless of pedagogical concepts, these are the people who decisively influence how the child experiences the beginning of school and the first year of school. Parents usually have no influence on which teacher teaches their child. At the first parents’ evening, you can at least seek contact and talk to the teacher.
Guide from Stiftung Warentest
© Stiftung Warentest
With the family handbook My school son Parents can competently accompany their children through primary school. The 320-page guide covers all important aspects of school, learning and development – from the start of school to the transition to secondary school. It is always about the respective stage of development: What is happening to the child? What is happening at school? What is happening in the family? The book costs 24.90 euros and is available at… test.de store can be ordered.