If your child is attending school for the first time, or if you have just moved into the area, or if your child is attending a new school, it would be a good idea to take a drive with him/her to check out the school environment. This is especially important with younger children. Walk around the school property and familiarize yourself with the playground and layout of the building. Then when your child tells you stories about what happened at school you will have a visual image of the area.

If the building is open, go inside and check with the office to see if it is permissible to take your child around the inside on a tour. Again, this is very important if your child is young. It will make him feel much more comfortable entering the building on September 5 if he has had a chance to see the school when it is quiet and not filled with hundreds of active youngsters. School can be quite intimidating when you are only three feet tall.

If you are lucky, you may even see your child’s teacher preparing the classroom. Take the opportunity to say hello and introduce yourself. It is not a time for a parent-teacher interview, but merely a time for a quick social call. However, if there is something the teacher should be made aware of about your child or some trauma which he is going through which may have an impact on his ability to learn, by all means inform the teacher.

If your child takes a bus to school, check out the bus stop area. It should be close to your house anyway, but nonetheless, you will look at things differently this time around. See if there is shelter from the rain or snow; if the children must stand near heavy traffic; how often does your child have to cross the road; are there any danger points along the way; how long it takes your child to walk to the bus stop; and how long it takes your child to run to the bus stop on days when he/she is late. Knowing these times may come in handy during the early morning rush to get children off to school.

Make sure your child has all the information he/she needs in case of an emergency. Which house can he run to if there is trouble? Who can he phone if he can’t get hold of you during the day? If he gets off at the wrong bus stop, does he/she know the streets well enough to walk home?

All parents know that it is important to get those new school clothes; the school equipment; to prepare the desk so that your child has a nice clean area to do his homework. But we mustn’t forget the other things that will seem like major obstacles to young children. The beginning of a new school year for a child is just like an adult starting a new job. It is all new and confusing and the least little thing can take away all of the fun and excitement. Little problems will all seem huge on the first day of school.