Packing Schoolbag for Your Child's 1st Day At School

Confess… you are more than a little worried about your child’s first day in school - more so, if your little one is entering primary one! The dreaded 'back to school' phenomenon is something every parent with young children has to deal with. So, here are some practical tips to help you help your child pack his/her school bag for that first day in school.


Get organised
At least a week before school reopens you should have bought the new books, uniform, socks, shoes, bag, water bottle, stationery and all the little additional things (like a handkerchief or tissue paper) your child would need each day for school.

Get a little wallet or purse, and include important things like money for a snack or meal and the bus card / pass.
Write down your home address and the telephone numbers your child may need to contact you in an emergency. A card placed in the purse would be the most accessible location.
Label each thing carefully with your child’s name, class and school. Little ones are quite capable of leaving their things around!
If your child has allergies or needs medications in school, remember to inform the teachers in charge.
Rehearse
A week before school, you may want to teach your child to pack the school bag.

The timetable is a great place to start. Based on the classes scheduled, you can teach your child to pack just what is needed for each day. For example, look out for the Physical Education (PE) Class and, alert your child to include the PE attire.
Create a simple checklist to ensure that your little one can do it all on his / her own.
Remember, not to over pack and do not allow your child to carry toys to school.
Make sure that your little one knows how to open and close the bag and that he / she can do it with ease.
Take out all the contents of the bag and get your child to put it back again. Do this exercise over and over again until your child knows how to gather all the things needed for school and to arrange it neatly within the school bag.
Teach your school-going child to be responsible for all his / her belongings, using the checklist to make sure that things are not lost.


Role play
Kids need to carry their school bag, water bottle and often, a little snack box and their purse/wallet. This is quite a bit for your child to manage all alone! So, allow your child to practice managing all these items.

Give him or her opportunity to walk to the bus stop, climb up and down the stairs and even to get to the assembly area in school or to the classroom.
Remember how your teacher asked you to get the right books and stationery ready for each class? Now, ask your child do just that.


Talk it over
Create confidence in your child by going over potentially awkward situations that can occur in school such as:

Going to the toilet and washing up after that.
How to handle spillage from the water bottle or the snack box.


Reinforce
Very often, your child’s teacher will provide more instructions during the first two weeks of school. Check the timetable over and over again, read the school diary and look for notes that are sent to you. Based on these, you will need to modify your initial instructions. So, in the first week or two you need to pay close attention to your child’s school bag. But, if you lay the fundamentals right at the start – emphasising the need to get organised and be neat, your kid will be all set to cope with the demands of the school day.


Ensure a nutritious diet
You might be worried about the nutrition your child gets at his new school - since children who cannot adapt well to a new environment could lose their appetites. To make sure your child eats healthy, pack complete and balanced meals that he is familiar with. A great example is sandwich with his preferred filling (tuna, egg or cheese) with a lettuce leaf. With a healthy diet, your little scholar will have the right boost to breeze ahead, mentally and physically, in this new chapter of his life!


A Better School Bag
Buy a lightweight school bag with good support. (I've bought a SPI schoolbag for my gal)
Ideally, it should be a backpack with two straps instead of one.
Thicker shoulder pads are better.


Pack for Maximum Comfort
Do not let your child carry more than 10-15% of his/her body weight in the backpack.
Teach your child to pack the heaviest items in the center and use the many compartments to distribute the weight


Wear It Well
Encourage him/her to wear both shoulder straps to evenly distribute the weight.
Keep the straps firm, so the weight rests against the mid and lower back
If your child has a locker, encourage him/ her to drop some stuff off to lighten the load.


Adapted from WebMD – Kids Backpacks 101