Back to school tips from a teacher to a parent

As i get ready to send my child back to school in this new academic year I want to share with all the parents an insiders view of what you can do to make your and your childs schooling experience a better one...

While working as a teacher in school there are many things i have seen,  experienced and learned. Little things that each one of us has already been doing and some more that can really make every day better for us and the little ones who will be spending more time away from us in the school.

- Label everything... Write your child's (name,class,section) on bags, lunchboxes, waterbottles, raincoats, umbrellas, pencil boxes, even their uniforms, shoes, socks.

It makes it easier for the teacher to locate things if misplaced.

-Always pack an extra dress. And ask the child to remind the teacher if he/she needs a dress change. Younger children accidentally spill water while drinking, drop food while eating or sometimes in the washroom or sometimes even because of the rains.

The child will be very uncomfortable to sit through the class in a wet dress.

- make sure each child remembers the phone number of atleast one parent even though the phone number is mentioned on the ID card.  Slowly make the child learn his own address, name of parents, school, class,  teacher, section.

-Pickup and drop- for the parents who drop and pick their children from school everyday, please maintain parking discipline. Park your vehicle a few meters away and make sure you don't cause any inconvenience to the parents or the children going to school. Just as time is crucial to you as you have to proceed for work after dropping your child so is it for others. For younger kids I strictly recommend to drop the child in school premises and hand over to the teacher or helper. do not leave your child from a distance. Children are very curious and tend to stray around if left unattended.

Make sure your child us in safe hands before you leave.

Inform the teacher about who will be picking up the child daily. Also teach the child only to wait for the people who will be picking up the child and not to go with anyone else even if they are an acquaintance.Share contact numbers so they can call you in case of emegency.

-Transport- Make sure the child remembers his route number, and name of the driver. Parents should have name, contact number,and photo of the driver. Ask older kids who travel in the same van or bus to keep a track of what goes on in the bus when they are not being monitored.

- Be very patient - the first few days will be very chaotic as you go to drop and pick your child in the school. Keep calm.Allow the teachers to do their job. They too are trying to learn and remember about each child, their classes, sections, weather that child will be going with a parent or school transport, if school transport which route, if parent-going then who are the people who will be picking the child up...

- Maintan discipline-As we go to pick up our child each parents wants to be the first one to pick the child.. Very obvious.. You are eager to meet your child. But remember so are the others. Children when told form a line quickly.. But many a times as parents we become stubborn. Again please let the teachers do their job. They want to send the correct child to the correct parent. Help them do it. tell the teacher or helper the name of your child along with the class and section. Eventually they will remember it.

- lunch time - pack only sufficient quantity of food which you feel your child may be able to finish. Many parents feel that its the teachers fault if the child is not able to finish the box. To test how your child eats in the school heres what you can do.

On weekends mainitain the same school schedule for your child at home.pack the food in same boxes, bottles and put in their school bags. During the lunch break make them eat from the school box so you can see how well the food you have packed in the morning stays till lunch..

Sometimes mixed dal rice becomes dry, sabji roti getssm soggy making it difficult for children to eat. Make necessary changes. children will forget to put their lunch bags upright and their bags keep tumbling up and down as they move around in the class.

-washrooms - although for younger kids there will be helpers to help them if they need to use the washroom. I would still recommend that slowly each parent should start training their kids for potty cleaning. Let them try at home and you be at their assistance. Children often announce they have to go for washroom or potty at the last moment and unable to control it till help arrives.

It will make them more independant and will not feel helpless if no one is around.

- gender equality- as a teacher we were always taught to maintain gender equality.  While forming a line there was no separate girls line or boys line.. It should alays be a common line. I request all parents to follow it if you can wherever necessary. As children grow up separately the tend to have a dislike for the opposite gender. Girls will only prefer to have girl friend or boys would prefer to sit with boys. Later on it makes it difficult to work as a team. The society indirectly influences these differences but let we as parents not create these for our kids.

- check your child bags and diary every day. The diary is a way for you and the teacher to communicate with each other.

- Check the bag to check if the child has misplaced any items or very importantly check if child has accidentally or intentionally brought someone elses items. Child love fancy stationary and without any intention sometimes bring items which they like in someone elses bag. Discourage the habit by slowly explaning to the child how he would feel if he lost something he loved.

Never forget to ask your child about his day - this helps you to know what all happend in school. Sometimes children tell about an incident after many days making it difficult to confront a child or management. Ask them about their day.. What was the best moment for the day..which class was boring, how was the food, what food items they like in next box, did anyone share food, was someone nice to you today, was someone rude to you. Make them talk so you would know how their day really was.