Children have a difficult time gauging time and how long the day will last, she says. Tell them about breaks, when they will eat lunch and where and when they will have snacks. Expecting teachers to understand baby talk is frustrating for both the teacher and student, she says. Once school starts, she suggests parents drive youngsters to school in the car for the first week or so. And before they are expected to ride the school bus, introduce children to the driver and buddy them up with an older sibling or neighborhood friend.
Older siblings can be very helpful in acclimating young children to school in other ways.
Explain that one's brother or sister will be in the same building. Encourage the older sibling to talk about fun times at school and fun times on the bus. She also is assistant professor of family and community medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. O'Heron, herself a former teacher and now a mother of four, lives with her husband and children in Peachtree City. The Emory Clinic Fayetteville is located at 1250 Highway 54 West, Suites 100-200, Fayetteville.