This weeks school success tip is to do with improving communication.

Communication is one of the secrets to school success. Communicating with your child, their teachers and other school professionals is all important.

One of the tricky situations is when your child comes home and tells you about something that happened at school. Now you weren't there... and therefore you really don't know what happened. So what do you do? 

Depending on the situation you may want to go full on Mumma Bear, but before you do have a look at the success tip.

Firstly, check in with yourself.  If you have really strong feelings about what is being reported to you I wonder why.  Maybe a similar thing happened to you at school, maybe it's happened to your child before, or maybe you are just very surprised.  It's important to sit and digest those feelings before responding by sending off an angry email, gossiping about it in the car park or using your crystal ball and imagining the worst possible scenario.

Secondly, put all this in the context of how your child normally responds to situations.  Do they tend to see the worst or best in a situation?  Are they a sensitive child or rarely show emotion?  Do they have confidence or experience anxiety?  Whatever they are reporting is through the lens of their emotions and personality.

Thirdly, take some time to gather all the facts you can, or as best your child can remember.
Doing all of this is all important preparation for approaching the school and/or teacher.

ps. If being part of a group that focuses on helping children achieve school success interests you, you are welcome to join us at http://bit.ly/secretsofschoolsuccess.

There are nine things I recommend you include in a school success schedule.  And why does your child, especially if they are just starting school, need a schedule?  And what's the point when COVID is still disrupting your life on a regular and in an unpredictable way....

WHY CREATE A SCHOOL SUCCESS SCHEDULE? 
​The main reason to set up a school success schedule is to counteract this unpredictability and be active in controlling what you can.  
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Going through this process helps everyone in the family, particularly your child, know what to expect.  This predictability will help with easing the stress associated with starting a new school year.

When your child starts school for the first time, (or even for the 10th time) there is a shift in routine.  From holiday rhythm to school structure.  This is a huge change and can be a source of stress for parents and children.  

There are also a huge  number of questions that need answers.  Who is doing drop offs, pick ups?  What time do we need to get up, go to bed?  When do we prepare lunches?  What activities are scheduled for after school?  Is that too much, too little?  Reading? Bath or shower in the morning or at night?  How much time people have in the morning really varies. Does your child naturally wake early or late?  Is there a commute to school?  Do they have a bus to catch?  

Does your child have meltdowns over school uniforms?  In my last blog I talked about some ways of helping reducing any anxiety your child may have about starting either school for the first time, or changing schools.  Today is about the uniform.  

This is often a contentious issue for children and adolescents I have seen over the years.  Uniforms by virtue of their name are meant to be an equalising factor in the school equation (see what I did there.. a maths reference..).  They are also an important part of the branding for many schools.  

​But as we know not all children fit the one size fits all uniform.  There are many reasons for this - sensory sensitivities is a major factor.  It includes things like - this tie is strangling me, my jumper/pants are itchy, and I hate the feel of school shoes. 

These issues can result in arguments between parents and children and students and their teachers.  However, just a few simple tips can help avoid some of the frustrations that often arise with uniforms.

1. If your child has sensory sensitivities, it is a great idea to have them get used to wearing their school uniform, including the shoes and hat.  If doing this doesn't work, it's time to sit down and negotiate some modifications with the school.

2. Where ever possible see if you can source second hand uniforms - much better for your finances and the environment. And often these are good to help with sensory sensitivities because they are softer.

3. Check what is compulsory and what isn't. Does your child want/need a variation?
Are girls allowed to wear 'shorts'? This is a common one that pops up. If it's not on the list, but is something your child wants to do - this is one worth a call with the school and possibly worth taking a stand on.

Is your child anxious about starting school?

​I remember when my eldest child started school. They were was so excited.  I was anxious... Will they like it, what will their teacher be like, how can I help, do I stay in the classroom?  The questions were endless.  We had done some orientation but it was still a bit scarey.  Together we negotiated the year.  They had a wonderful teacher.  She was strict, but clear, with us newbie parents and we felt a part of the class. 

If you're feeling some of my first day at school nerves, have a think about your first day at a new job, or walking into a new group of people.  What helps - some knowledge, preparation, confidence, a friendly smile - these will help your child too.  Drop them off confidently with a big smile, your confidence will transfer to your child (then meet up with the other Prep parents to express your concerns and try and find answers to your questions). 

Knowledge
Share with your child what you know about the school, their teacher, the classroom,  go over the information you received at orientation.

Preparation

• Help your child to become familiar with the setting, routines and activities they will participate in at school. 
• These include activities such as spending time at the school when there are no students there. 
• Give your child a map of the school and go there on weekends, holidays or after school hours so that they can develop a mental visual map of their surrounds.  
• Depending on the school their playground may be available for public use.  If so, let them play in the playground and become familiar with the school.  Be aware if there are particular areas of the school they must and must not play in.  Use this knowledge to determine where you allow them to play in the playground.
• A few weeks before the start of school eating snack and lunch at the same time they will be eating them at school, from the same container.  Make sure you are familiar with rules around food, including ‘nude’ food, whether or not nuts are allowed, how long they have to eat etc.  Let them practice using their lunchbox - and check for things like whether or not they can open it.
• Allow them to wear their uniform, including shoes to get used to the different feeling.

Confidence

• If they are worried, talk to them about what they are worried about. Explain that most people feel a bit anxious when they are starting something new.  Share a time when you felt anxious.  This helps normalise their feelings. Practice some calming strategies such as mindfulness.
• Talk about this and problem solve with them.  It may be helpful to write this down. 
• Share stories from when you started school.
• Help them see their anxiety as anticipation - like it feels just before going on a ride at the show.
• Ask the librarian to help you find relevant books to read to them about starting school – there are quite a few around.
• Remind them of other times they have started new activities and how they coped.
• Remind them of their strengths - whether it be friendliness, determination, cognitive ability, sense of humour, creativity etc.