Home Work

Borrowing the scout’s motto (“be prepared”) is the way to go, or so it seems. Whether your child is entering kindie or P1, a new school (and a new environment) is a daunting and unnerving experience for both parent and child.

Unlike kindergarten, the (primary) school is much bigger. We took our daughter to her school a few times, to get her familiar with the surroundings. We walked around with her – from her classroom, to the canteen, to the toilets and the school field. I told her about the time when I went to Primary 1 and about some of the things that happened to me. I wanted her to know that that it's okay to feel a little nervous, but that things will work out fine. - Penny Chua, mum to nine-year-old Rachel

We had a practice run – weeks before kindie started. We set out each item of clothing in a row, on the bed, and in the order they should be put on – underwear, shirt, then pants. Then Darren had to follow the rest of the ‘trail’ of stuff he needed for school from his room (socks and school bag) to the dining room (lunchbox) and to the front door (shoes). It worked because he has never left anything behind. - Terry McDonnell, dad to five-year-old Darren

To help our son (who was going to P1) get used to waking up early in the morning to catch the school bus, we decided to do a series of dry runs for a week. His older brother had to participate in them too and as a treat, the kids got to have their favourite McDonald’s breakfast! Thank goodness it worked… I guess it also helped that we made it a rule that the boys had to go to bed an hour earlier during the week so they had enough sleep. - Sharon Lim, mum to Jonathan, seven, and Kevin, nine

I volunteered in Parent-Teachers Association to get more involved in school activities. This gave me a better understanding of the school’s culture and environment. Then my son and I went through a typical day’s routine so that he understood what primary school is all about, and he got to asks questions if needed. This way, he could learn to better manage his own expectations, thus reducing anxiety and unnecessary surprises in a new environment. - Rosalind Lim, mum to eight-year old
Sean