My baby's going to school!

"Dear Busy Girls Guide. My 4 year old daughter is due to start school in September. She's not really used to being away from me all week & part of me doesn't want her to go! I Know I'm being over-protective - do you have any tips for making the first few days a bit easier? Thanks in advance." Celia, Cheshire.

Dear Celia

Thank you for sending this email - it's something a lot of our Busy Mum readers are worrying about this September. We know all too well that it's not just children who can be nervous about the first day of school, us parents are too! Going to school is a big step, not only for your child but also for you.

Many parents find that as their child comes towards the end of pre-school they begin to get bored. School will provide your daughter with the stimulation that she needs to develop & will allow her to form new friendships.

We passed your letter onto Tinies Childcare of Cheshire, who have sent us some tips to make those first few days easier for everyone.

Helping your daughter to adapt to her new situation will ease your mind and will ensure that she feels safe & secure in the changes that are taking place.

1. Be enthusiastic - when you talk to your daughter about school you should be excited & confident this should make your daughter feel positive about the change & give her confidence. Any negative feelings that you have about her going to school should be kept away from your daughter.

2. Organise everything needed for school in plenty of time - buying uniforms, books, school bags should not be left to the last minute. Have everything ready the night before (i.e. schoolbags, P.E.Kit, packed lunch/dinner money) so that things wont be a rush in the morning. Getting your daughter involved in the preperation will allow her to feel positive about the situation.

3. Make sure that your child gets plenty of sleep - a tired & over excited child is likey to be a weepy one.

4. Put aside extra time for travel especially on the first day. Make sure that you arrive early so that you have plenty of time to reassure your daughter.

5. Don't prolong the goodbye - if your child is clingy, staying will only make it more difficult in the long run.

6. Set aside time to talk to your child about their day in school - this will give you an idea of how they are coping & will alert you to any problems they might be having.

If you are worried about how you are going to cope not having a daughter around arrange plenty of things to keep you busy in the first few weeks. Just remember you have probably had 4 years of no 'Me Time', so make the most of it.

Best wishes, Haf Barlow - Tinies Childcare Cheshire

If you are a Busy Mum & have children going back to school, or just starting, we'd love to hear from you - stories will be anonymously published below... x

images by caramelphoto.com