Gina Ford - The Contented Baby Goes to School: Help your child to make a calm and confident start

Contents

Help your child to make a calm and confident start at school with the UKs no.1 parenting author

Your childs first days at nursery, preschool and school are exciting times, but they can be very daunting. In this practical book, Gina Ford calms any worries you may have to ensure you and your child feel fully prepared to take this all-important new step. Find out how to:

• Encourage your childs independence and confidence
• Adjust to new routines and environments
• Improve your childs mental, social and self-care skills
• Address specific concerns such as allergies, shyness, dyslexia and ADHD

The Contented Baby Goes to School is your essential guide to giving your child the very best start at school.

Gina Ford is Britains bestselling childcare author and has written over twenty parenting books, including her bestselling The Contented Little Baby Book.

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

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Published in 2014 by Vermilion, an imprint of Ebury Publishing

Ebury Publishing is a Random House Group company

Copyright Gina Ford 2014

Gina Ford has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this Work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner

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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 9780091947385

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The information in this book has been compiled by way of general guidance in relation to the specific subjects addressed, but is not a substitute and not to be relied on for medical, healthcare, pharmaceutical or other professional advice on specific circumstances and in specific locations. Please consult your GP before changing, stopping or starting any medical treatment. So far as the author is aware the information given is correct and up to date as at July 2014. Practice, laws and regulations all change, and the reader should obtain up to date professional advice on any such issues. The author and publishers disclaim, as far as the law allows, any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use, or misuse, of the information contained in this book

To all the parents who have supported me over the years.

Your childs first day at nursery or school is a milestone for the entire family. This should be an exciting time for you and your child, but it can be a daunting experience, overshadowed by worries and concerns. It is only natural to feel some anxiety if this is the first time you will be leaving your child in someone elses care all day, but it can feel just as significant an event for parents who have been using a day nursery since their child was a baby and your child may have fears of his own, too. There are quite likely to be some teething problems and it can take a while to get used to this major change in your lives, but feeling confident that youve made the right choices along the way, and knowing that youre as prepared as you can be, will make all the difference to both you and your child.

Your child may be entering a new phase of his life, but he still needs you now as much as if not more than before. My aim in this book is to ensure your Contented Baby becomes a Contented Child and that you as a parent stay contented, too! The same principles still apply: making sure your childs practical and emotional needs are met; being organised to make the day more enjoyable and stress-free; and, perhaps most importantly, giving your child a routine either side of the school day that will make him feel secure and cared for.

The right kind of nursery or pre-school education can be very beneficial to a child, helping to develop his social and educational skills. It offers a great start before more formal education begins, and enjoyable play-based learning can help establish your childs thirst for knowledge. At this stage, basic numeracy and literacy skills can be established in a low-key way through play, which aims to set children up for a good start once they begin formal education.

Of course, the educational skills children will learn are essential, but it is also the social skills needed for later success that begin to be established during this nursery/pre-school phase. Your child will take the first steps towards a degree of independence, and will start to build friendships with peers. Early-years education aims to prepare a child to be able to learn and develop: laying the ground rules for good behaviour; teaching children how to share with one another; setting boundaries and helping them understand the importance of following instructions. The principles of this stage of education include recognising the individuality of each child, helping them to foster relationships based on respect, providing the right environment to support their learning, and helping them to develop at the rate that is right for them. What is perhaps most important is that this kind of early learning can be a positive and enjoyable experience for young children, where they will have fun as they learn the skills they will need for the formal education that will follow.

Although you may be well aware that nursery, pre-school or reception is going to be good for your child, its only natural to feel some concerns about this big step in your lives. It can be particularly difficult if it is your first, or only, child and you have never left him in the care of others before, but its not just first-time parents who find this an emotional time having been through this stage with older children doesnt necessarily make it less challenging this time round. The children themselves may have an unsettled period due to the big change in their daily routine, and this can be hard to deal with as a parent. Children do sometimes cry when they are left at nursery or pre-school, and it may feel heartbreaking to leave your child if he seems upset and doesnt want you to go. Understanding that this is usually a short-lived phase, and taking steps to ensure that you have done all you can to minimise any distress, will help you both to cope.

When you are leaving your toddler at nursery for the first time you will inevitably worry about how he will cope without one-to-one attention, and whether he has the necessary social skills to deal with such a large chunk of time away from you. Will your child remember to ask when he needs the potty? Will he feel lonely in a strange environment? How will he cope with all the other children? Will he remember to share without you there to remind him, and will he make friends? You may wonder how the nursery day will fit around your childs existing routines and whether any disruption to this will have an impact on how settled he is at home.