Look sharp, lunch smart!
Helping your child feel ready for school can be embedded into every day activities leading up to their first day.
Two important things are getting school uniform and preparing for lunch time. It can be exciting to try new things on the adventure of growing up – make sure you have fun during the process!
Top tips:
School uniform
- Make a list with your child: list all the items you think they will need for their school uniform (remember to refer to the school’s uniform policy)
- Start collecting the items: you can do spread this throughout the weeks leading up to the start of school, and let you child tick the items off the list
- Involve your child in choosing the items: allow them to touch and explore each item and practice wearing them at home
- Have the school shoes visible and present around the house: your child can then become familiar with the style and feel of the shoes (velcro shoes are the most sensible and far less complicated than laces)
If your child will be having a packed lunch
- Buy a special lunch box and drink bottle with your child: allow them to be involved in the selection of their brand new lunch box so that its recognisable and unique to them
- Talk about the items of food your child would like to have in their lunch box: with support, try to encourage them to make healthy choices
- Encourage your child to take part in preparing and packing their lunch: they will then become familiar with what to expect inside
- Have picnics at home, in the garden or at parks with the new lunch box: this will give your child a chance to practise opening and closing their lunch box, its contents, and their their drink bottle – this will also familiarise your child with eating their lunch around other people and new smells
If your child will be having school dinners
- Place your child’s meal on a tray, at the table, along with a cup and cutlery: this will begin to familiarise them with how it will look and feel at school
- Practise carrying things on a tray from one to place to another: this will help your child feel more comfortable and confident carrying their lunch on a tray from the kitchen to the table – start off small and make it fun (spillages will happen, so support your child with this)
- Introduce your child to emptying their leftover food into the bin: break down the stages of carrying out this task because it can be tricky
- Practise using different cutlery for different types of food: practise cutting with a knife and using a fork
- Some meals you could offer as options on the table, like a buffet: for example, have some food in a variety of bowls so your child can choose what they want and then you can dish it up – this allows your child to practise making choices and say what they would like