I am a mom of a first grader again this year! It seems just yesterday when my second daughter starts daycare and now she is a first-grader. A new milestone again for her that the whole summer been waiting for.
Being a mom of a first grader, I am excited
“I’m excited!”, are the words she replied when I asked how she feels going to school. It is very good that her preschool was held in the same school. She had familiar with the school and as well as her classmates for a year. She also knows some of her classmates during preschool and in another group too from her daycare club. In that way, she will not have to worry about being the new one because she is not.
However, being a first grader is a new thing. Shes officially a school girl! I am a mom of a first grader again too. Isn’t that amazing? I have two school-age daughters who by the way are very responsible. I am so proud of that.
They prepared their school bag a few days before school starts and clothes to wear a day before. The school starts at 8:45 and they put the alarm at 7:45 but woke up at 7:30. Pretty excited weren’t they? To think that school is just 300 meter away from home.
It was a rainy day during their first day. Their daddy brought them by car to school while I prepare the younger boys for daycare. For the second day, I am the one who she
What I must remember having a first-grader?
Even though she is a first-grader already, sounds big girl but she is still small. She might be a little bit overwhelmed about everything happening. Before school starts, we received some booklets from MLL or League for Child Welfare regarding the first grader and what we must remember and expect to have a first-grader. It is good to know this again because our eldest has been first grade a few years back already.
Here are a few tips for moms of first grader to remember
- Make sure to organize a place for your child on where to do the homework. Tell them when the homework must be done and tell that we, parents are available if they need help. Check every day that it is done.
- If the child is alone for a while after school at home, make sure that there is food ready for them to eat. Make sure to at least have one meal that the whole family are eating together.
- Make sure that they got enough sleep. If they are not then they are tired to learn new things and easy to forgot. They need to have at least ten hours of sleep and its parents task to make sure they got that amount. Usually, they act as they know it but they do not know how to say the correct sleeping time.
- Tell them where and how they can reach us. We also have to encourage them to tell us what happen on that day.
- Make sure that kids have a reflector in their bags or outdoor clothes. At home, if they will be there for some time alone without parents, teach them which appliances they can use. Teach how to call the emergency number if needed.
- Tell them to never go with anyone they do not know.
- School-age children especially when they are still very young, needs a lot of undivided attention from parents. They like hugs. It can be that after school where they need to be alert and attentive, in the evening they can be tired and a little bit angry.
I will admit that I can´t have full undivided attention especially there are other kids and smaller than her but I try my best to be with her. I need to follow those mentioned above as a mom of a first grader.