Prepare your child for Primary School

I have a primary school-going child and another child is entering P1 next year.

I have set some rules on Jan way when she was in P1 and I wish to apply the same rules on Jay. No double standard as it would confuse the kids and make them question your reasoning if you are.

It works for Jan. She has always been a mature child since young and it was not hard to train and prepare her for primary school. Following are my rules:

1.  School bag and what inside are your responsibility

Jan very seldom lose her pencils or erasers in kindergarden. Teachers would ensure everyone packs their books and pencil cases into their bags and before leaving the classroom, they must take their water bottle and snack box too. 

However when she was in P1, first 2 months she kept losing her pencils. One of her classmate, a boy seated next to her took her pencils, she said. So one day I asked the boy and he confessed. So I told him not to take any of his classmates' stuff as it was stealing. So from there onwards, Jan never lost her stuff.

It is Jan's responsibility to arrange her books every day. Only on first 2 days did I helped her with her books and from that day, she arrange and pack her books into her bag. I never have to worry that she left any books at home. Once a while she would clean her bag and I hate it when she did because her bag is full of those sharpened pencil residue!! But she cleans that mess herself too. ^^

As for Jay, he has been more diligent in taking care of his stationery this year. He would take out any finished books and pass to me. 

2. Schoolworks are their responsibility

Only when they finish their school works, then they can have the tv or play. 

So both Jan and Jay would do their school works and learn spelling, dictation in the afternoon and once both finish, then they can rest.

Since gone to tuition, they have less time to watch tv and play. On weekends, I let them have the tv, play toys and iPad to their hearts content. 

3. Allowance

I give Jan RM10 early of the year for her to keep in her bag in case she needed to buy some exercise books or food from canteen. She hardly use them at all. 

Actually it is the sense of responsibility and saving that I would like to instil in her. I can say I did a good job in her as she does not spend or ask us to buy this and that.

4. Early bedtime

My kids are early birds. They sleep before 9pm most of the days and that included weekends if they do not take afternoon naps. They wake up around 6am. 

I do not need to wake up Jan and Jay as they wake up by themselves.  Jan has an alarm clock but she hardly uses it as she wake up before the alarm is off. Jay too has been an early bird this year. 

5. Breakfast

They must have breakfast before go to school. Milk or Milo with sandwich and some day, noodle or porridge. It keeps them more attentive and can study well with their tummies are taken care off.

6. Be vigilant about strangers
 Reminding your children to be aware of strangers, not talking or taking anything from them. It is hard to curb kidnapping of children from schools as security would assume they are parents and come to see or pick their children. Parents are allowed to enter and bring food to their children in the canteen during the break. I always pack food for my children so they can eat in the classrooms with their classmates and remind my children to stay in the school compound and only when see my car, then they can come over and get into the car.