Tips to help your child settle into school/nursery

Talk to your child about starting school/nursery. Knowing what’s ahead can help them prepare.
Does your child know any other children starting in the school? If so tell them there will be children they know there. Sometimes the fear of the unknown scares us the most so knowing there will be a familiar face can help ease first day nerves.
Tell your child about your first day at school or read them a story about someone starting school.
Take your child to school on their first day. Starting school is stressful and having a parent to hold their hand will help the child relax.
Show your child where you will collect them at the end of the day, they need to know you are coming back.
Teach your child the important information i.e. who they should tell if they have a bleed.
Be on time – in dropping off and picking up. It is scary for a child to walk into a class full of new people. It can be scarier to walk into a class that has already started. The child will be anxious to see you when class is over, try and be there waiting for them. Seeing other parents and not seeing you could make them anxious.
Give them time – after school they will want to tell you everything – from how nice their teacher is to who their best friend is – set aside time for them to tell you their life story, don’t push them for information they will want to tell you themselves.
Be patient – the first day will have an air of excitement, but after a week of early mornings, uniforms and learning, the fun might wear off and be replaced by a tired, grumpy child so be prepared and remember, we all have mornings like that!
Tears and tantrums might be part and parcel for a child starting school, but fear and fretting for the parents should not be. Hopefully with this information and with the support of The Haemophilia Society/your haemophilia centre you might feel more relaxed.