If you’ve got a little one starting school for the first time this year and you’re worried about how it’s all going to pan out in the aftermath of the pandemic you’re not alone.
Our third born Marigold May is due to start reception in September and despite having been there, done it and experienced the tea and tears twice before the truth is I’m still anxious about how it’s all going to go!
The fact is Marigold’s experience of starting school is going to be very different to that of her older brother and sister. Thanks to Covid most of the settling in and familiarisation events have been cancelled, and I probably won’t be able to settle her into the classroom in the same way I did with her brother and sister either.
The chances are her bubble is bound to burst at some point too, so I’m pretty sure her reception year will be disrupted by Covid in some way at some point. The question is: what can we do about it?
If you’re in the same boat as us and want everything to go as smoothly as possible I thought it would be useful to share how we’re getting school ready in the wake of the pandemic – but don’t worry it doesn’t involve the dreaded class teddy!
5 ways we’re getting reception ready in the wake of coronavirus
1. We’re talking about school – a lot
Marigold is so excited about starting big school so we’re talking about it a lot: what uniform she’ll wear, the kinds of activities she’ll do at school and what the school day will be like. I think talking about it helps her build a picture in her mind, which in turn makes her feel confident about this next step in her life.
2. We’re reading starting school books at bedtime
There are so many ‘starting school’ books out there but an all-time favourite in our house has to be Starting School by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. It’s an oldie but a goodie: a charming story which focuses on the children and their first year with really lovely illustrations too. This one still loves reading our copy two years after he started school!
3. I’ve joined the class WhatsApp group early
It’s quite possible I’m losing my mind (I’m not a fan of class WhatsApp groups, mainly because you end up with WhatsApp groups for WhatsApp groups and they’re like rabbit holes in which you can easily lose a few hours) BUT for the purposes of getting reception ready I’ve joined the class WhatsApp group early. It means I can find out who’s going to be in Marigold’s class and we can get to know the other parents and children ahead of the big day – even though it means I now have three class WhatsApp groups to *try* and stay on top of!
4. We’re going on playdates
Thanks to joining the class WhatsApp group early we’ve already been on a socially distanced playdate with the new children in her year and we’ve got more planned before the start of term. That way, by the time the big day comes, she’ll already have made some friends instead of being met with a sea of new and unfamiliar faces.
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5. We’re talking about coronavirus
It’s natural to want to shield little ones from the hard facts of life but not talking about coronavirus is a bit like having an elephant in the room. Instead we’re talking about things like the importance of washing hands and keeping to bubbles just like they do at nursery in a bid to keep things as ‘normal’ as possible – even though they’re anything but normal!
Do you have any top tips for getting little ones reception ready, either post Covid or otherwise? I’d love to know what they are!
I have attached or t goes well for her and you have a good attitude to have x #mischiefandmemories
All we can be is positive!
Must be hard after such a long lockdown~! Good luck! #MischiefandMemories
Thank you!
Those are great tips and I really hope that all goes well for Marigold with starting reception – it’s such a big step and Covid makes it harder in some ways. Going on playdates before school starts and reading books about school are great ways of helping children prepare. Thomas is due to start preschool in September and we’ll be trying some of these things to help prepare him. #MischiefandMemories
I hope it goes smoothly for you too! We’ve got Violet starting nursery in September which I think will be interesting being a lockdown baby…
Fingers crossed that the changes to the bubbles will mean she gets a more consistent start. My twins are year one and as they couldn’t go back in reception they have actually spent very little time at school which is so difficult for them #MischiefAndMemories
Yes it was the same for Max with both reception & year one disrupted – I really hope this school year goes more smoothly…
I can’t quite believe how fast the last year and a half has gone! Good luck with school Marigold! These are fab tips, especially arranging a few playdates with other littles starting in the same class. Loads of fun plus a fab way of helping with those first day nerves. Thank you for joining us for #mischiefandmemories xx
Hopefully it will all go as smoothly as possible & we don’t end up in another lockdown…
My youngest started school in September and to be honest he settled in just as well as the others. I think he might have had an advantage being a younger sibling so was familiar with the school. Oh and I work there! I think kids are more resilient than we imagine and have handled the pandemic restrictions better than adults! Thanks for linking up with #MischiefAndMemories
Wow those do sound like advantages – glad to hear it’s going well!