Off to school we go

Olive Strike has a few changes in store for her this month. The 5-year-old will soon welcome a new sibling, but it's the start of the school year at Armatage Montessori in Minneapolis that seems to be causing her some anxiety.

"Olive has been really nervous about going to kindergarten. It's not really her personality at all to be worried about school," said her mother, Elle. "She's been in preschool for two years and is super-social, but I think going to school all day seems kind of overwhelming to her now."

It's not uncommon for kindergartners -- and their parents -- to have jitters about starting school, said Angèle Sancho Passe, author of "Is Everybody Ready for Kindergarten? A Tool Kit for Preparing Children and Families" (Redleaf Press).

"Even if children have been in day care, they are going to be leaving a familiar place for something new," said Passe, an early childhood consultant and former teacher from Minneapolis. "They will be with new adults. There will be older children in the school, and that can be a little intimidating."

Most schools schedule an open house several days before school starts, which gives families the chance to meet the kindergarten teacher, see the classroom, find out where the child will store belongings and other details.

"It is as important for parents to go to these events as it is for the child, especially if this is the first one you are sending to school," said Passe. "Coming into a new school environment can sometimes intimidate parents, too, so this is an opportunity to meet other parents and members of the school staff."

Parents might also want to consider making one or two informal visits to school with their children before kindergarten begins: Walk around the playground, show them where the bus will drop them off in the morning and which door they will use. Have a conversation about what a day at kindergarten will be like from beginning to end -- but don't overdo it.

A helpful routine

Also be sure your child has at least a week to adjust to the back-to-school routine, which means modifying bedtime. Students need to be well rested.

"It's a delicate issue because the teachers don't want to impose on the family's lifestyle, but if the child doesn't get enough sleep, it can have an impact on their learning," said Passe, who notes that children at this age should get 10 to 12 hours of sleep a night.

It may take your kindergartner a week or more to adjust to school. They will have days when they come home filled with stories, but also days when you'll get only one-word responses to your questions. If your child seems persistently unhappy or worried about going to school after about three weeks, it might be a good idea to contact the teacher, advised Passe.

When the first day of kindergarten arrives, it is often not the child crying at the bus stop, but the parents who are feeling emotional about the milestone.

Julie Pfitzinger is a West St. Paul freelance writer.