Transitioning To Big School - Ways to support young children to transition to primary school

In this 'Maggie Moment', Australian parenting author Maggie Dent talks about ways to support young children to transition to primary school. Maggie reminds us that any new experience can make us anxious, and offers us some strategies to alleviate that anxiety in the months, weeks and days leading up to the first day of school. Maggie also cautions us about expecting too much too soon.

Please note: This video was filmed pre-COVID and so some of the general advice (ie around dropoffs for example) may be impacted by each school's guidance around COVID restrictions.

[marymckay-walton]

Thanks Maggie. Keen to share your ideas with the Parents at Eton Farm x

[kyliegerstenberg]

With regards to drop offs... how do you encourage a feeling of safety when Covid restrictions mean you can’t take them to their classroom and only have the ability to leave them at the gate?

[AtelierLinty]

Thank you so much for all your great advice! When my daughter went to school I would also tell her the things I would be doing at home. “Mam is going to do the washing up and ironing and pick you up after that” she knew that was very boring so she would miss no fun, and it wouldn’t take long 😁

Do you perhaps have any advice for older children (12) leaving for the new school? (Don’t know what it’s called in Australia, middle school? Here in the Netherlands it’s a huge transition again)

[louisem]

Thanks Maggie. Any tips for kids that when anxious have sensory issues. The school shirt is causing some havoc in our house. He wore it twice during transition last year without issue and this year I have put a t-shirt under it but it doesn't seem to help. The same thing happened with transition to kinder with his socks.