Orientation Helps Ward Off First Day of School Jitters

Oh, how I dreaded that first day of school. Which teachers am I going to have? What am I going to wear? Will they hate me? Where are my classes? What if I can't get from one class to the other in time? Did I pick too many classes? Do I have my study halls when I need them?

The list goes on.

Your children are suffering the same fears. You remember them, don't you?

How do you help your child deal with anxiety?

Many schools have orientation day before school starts. Don't dismiss this as an unnecessary extravagance. Your child needs to feel comfortable in his or her new surroundings. They need to know where to go and when, and where their locker is located.

Where is homeroom? What will be done there? Does your child have an assigned seat?

Can your child get his or her class schedule before the first day of school? How much time is available between classes to travel to and from each classroom? Will there be enough time to use the restroom, or will the child need permission to leave class to do so? Can the child visit his locker between classes, or must he or she carry all the necessary books throughout the day?

Where are the restrooms located?

Where is the lunch room or cafeteria? What time is lunch? Where is the milk cooler located? How much will hot lunch cost? What types of foods will be available? Is brown bag required, or are lunch boxes necessary?

If possible, find out which school bus your child is assigned to, and where the bus will be located after school so the child won't fear missing the bus.

Are school textbooks available yet? Can the child start early to study and get a head start on his or her curriculum?

Does your school have a website? Visit it and learn as much as possible. You child will appreciate seeing photographs of new teachers. A floor plan may be available. Holidays and assemblies as well as parent and teacher conference days should be on a calendar page. A photo of the school is probably available. Is there a dress code? It is best to find out before you purchase school clothes what the school's restrictions are.

Helping you child answer all these and any other questions he or she may have will do much to alleviate excess stress.