As a new academic year approaches, many children will be getting ready for their first day at primary school, and they and their parents may be feeling anxious or worried about this significant moment.
To help parents and carers navigate this momentous occasion, the British Psychological Society (BPS) has provided top tips from its expert members, helping children to feel happy, safe and secure as they start in their new setting.
Dr Abigail Wright, Specialist Senior Early Years Educational Psychologist and member of the BPS’s Division of Educational and Child Psychology, says:
“Starting school can be an emotionally demanding time for both children and parents, as young ones experience separation from their caregivers and branch out into a new world for the first time.
“Separation could feel difficult because being and feeling close is key to a little one’s (and also sometimes an adult’s) feelings of safety and security. Developing familiarity and trust will be key to supporting them to settle.”
