Transitioning to primary school can be a difficult experience of anxiety and the unknown, particularly coming out of COVID when most children may have developed separation anxiety with the expectation of seeing their parents all day – every day. Our professional and experienced educators are involved in the transition for prep children every year as we assist the school and parents from the home environment to school and then OSHC. With this, we have a few tips and tricks to help your little one’s transition to primary school:

Prepare them on what to expect

It’s important to detail exactly where they’ll be dropped off and picked up from, what to expect when they’re there and who they can talk to when you’re not there so they can be confident for their first week!

A Quick Drop off

It can be an anxious experience for both the parent and child to separate to an unknown environment, but they are in the best care they can be in. The moment you show any level of uncertainty, this can result in a difficult transition from home to school. So, keep the drop off experience confident with a quick goodbye. There may be a few calls for your name, a run to the door or even tears, but this is normal! We can guarantee you that 99% of the time, the moment you’re out of sight, they start to settle in.

Transitioning to Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)

We recommend meeting your OSHC team and having an orientation at the service before their first day so they know who will be picking them up from their classroom. They may have forgotten that they were going to OSHC on a particular day, so seeing a familiar face will support this transition.

Positive Reinforcement and Open Communication

Your child is going through new experiences every day as they navigate relationship building and learning new skills (social, emotional, physical and academic), so taking the time every day to have a conversation about their experiences that day and reinforcing this through positive language and encouragement can make a huge impact on how they perceive school. This communication should also continue through to the school and OSHC as you can’t rely on your child to tell you everything. So be sure to check in with your child’s teachers and OSHC educators on how your child is progressing and how you can support them.

As most Australian families continue to navigate the ever-changing requirements for COVID-19, the need for Outside School Hours Care can be more important than ever before. We’re just stepping into our third year of the pandemic and, despite doing everything we can to prepare for the next unprecedented event, some things continue to be out of our control.

So, how can Outside School Hours Care support your child’s development?

Social development

In Australia, every Outside School Hours Care program is created in conjunction with the National Quality Framework and My Time, Our Place, which are both created and supplied by the Department of Education. Educators use these frameworks to guide the educational activities they provide to best develop children’s social skills, preparing them for when they grow older and enter society. Some of these social skills include:

• Interacting with care, empathy, and respect
• Respecting diversity, fairness, and the environment
• Confident and involved learners
• Collaborate with others and express ideas
• Develop transferrable skills
• Take responsibility for their own health and emotional/physical wellbeing.

Hybrid work model

The pandemic has certainly challenged how businesses approach the traditional workday. Where the norm was once to be office-bound from Monday to Friday, from 9.00 am until 5.00 pm, we are now experiencing the benefits of greater flexibility and a hybrid work model.

While this has many advantages, it can add stress before and after school as parents juggle virtual meetings and deadlines while their children require care and entertainment.

The benefits of using Outside School Hours Care are exponential, particularly when being a parent itself is a full-time job. Children require a lot of attention especially if they are alone and don’t have others to interact with – except for their parents, of course.

Outside School Hours Care allows parents to confidently know that their child is in a safe, supportive, and fun environment, so they can focus on completing their tasks for work or home uninterrupted.

Life skills

There are plenty of opportunities for children to learn valuable life skills when participating in daily routines and planned or spontaneous activities. Outside School Hours Care provides the opportunity for children to learn about cooking food, cleaning, taking care of the environment, and extending on what’s taught in a traditional classroom setting (physical education, problem-solving, experimentation, hypothesising, and so much more).

FUN!

Finally, and most importantly, Outside School Hours Care is FUN. It gives children the opportunity to extend their time spent with their friends regularly – kind of like a before or after-school play date! It’s also a safe environment for them to explore their creativity, find out what they enjoy, and do it while having a good time with their friends.

We are fortunate to be in a position where we can further support a child’s creative journey by sourcing resources to make this a reality within the Outside School Hours Care space. Whether children wish to explore craft, science, sport, technology, cooking, or music, we will do everything we can to ensure we are giving them the tools they require to succeed.

If this hasn’t convinced you to use Outside School Hours Care to your advantage, we highly recommend you come into one of our services to take a look yourself. We also encourage enrolling your child to prepare for the possibility that you may need us one day. Enrolling is a simple, free process and gives you the option if an emergency were to occur. If you do decide to attend our Outside School Hours Care programs, we look forward to welcoming your family into our community!