By: Chris Lenart
School is almost upon us, and your child is starting school for the first time. You are not ready for it, and you have no idea what to do. The first thing to do is breathe—your child needs you to live. In this article, I am going to give you some tips on how to prepare for the first day of school.
Get a journal to communicate with your child’s teacher
I first suggest that you get a small notebook to keep in your child’s backpack. The notebook will be a journal between you and the teacher. You can write down any questions you may have, and the teacher can use the journal to read your notes about your child. Additionally, the teacher can jot down notes about your child for you here. It will help you keep everything in one place, so when you have your child’s IEP done, you will have every single note with you.
Jot down notes on your child for the teacher
I think that you should write a document that explains how to take care of your child. It might have what medication your child takes and when they have to take them. You might have a section on feeding, using the bathroom, therapy, and any other things that they should know about the child. If your child is nonverbal, have a section that explains how to communicate with the child. Also have a section for phone numbers like yours and your spouse, doctors and any other important numbers that they might need.
The beauty of the computer is that you just have to write it once and just modify it when you have to. I find Google Docs to be a great option.
Prepare to take the bus
If your child is going to take the bus to school, make sure they know what to expect. You may want to learn who the bus driver is and even request to meet them before the first day of school. If you can, make sure the bus driver knows where to find the folder with your child’s care instructions.
Prepare yourself for many days of screaming when the bus leaves your house. Trust me -I screamed the loudest. I woke up people in California from Chicago. Every day they yelled at me to be quiet.
Prepare your child to meet strangers
If your child does not relate to strangers easily, it might be wise to prepare them over the next few weeks.
Get excited!
I totally believe if you do these things, the whole year will go smoother than you expect. We have to remember that issues will happen during the year. If you can get them resolved quickly, it will make your life easier.
Have a great year!
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