They say it takes a village to raise a child. With that in mind, and the start of the new school year just round the corner, we sought the advice of the people whose job it is to get your child through school and out the other side with an education, character-building experiences and good health. Plus, learn about something that’s rarely taught in school — financial wisdom. We’ve even got something for those first-timers headed to nursery school.
To start off, here’s a tip that Abbi Thirion, deputy manager at Blossom Nursery Downtown, says is the most important: Trust the teacher. “She knows what she is doing and has lots of tricks up her sleeves to make a comfortable, fun and memorable time for your child. Children will pick up on your energy so if you are trusting and enthusiastic, your child will be too.”
Parents and kids, school starts tomorrow, but your education starts here.
THE HEADTEACHERS
Nargish Khambatta, Principal, GEMS Modern Academy
“Returning to school after a glorious summer holiday, strange as it may sound, can be exciting for the students. They are eager to share stories of their travels and are glad to be back to a routine and shake off the fear of “summer loss”.
Instead of drifting into school, planning ahead at least a day or two in advance, taking stock and sorting themselves out is important — two months is a long time and students tend to outgrow their uniforms, and books have a knack of disappearing. We do like our students to quickly slip into the groove and shift gears into “school mode” and our teachers plan a chockablock first week, so students are constructively engaged.
For new students, the first day can be quite daunting, and most schools have systems in place to make them feel welcome. The ones who embrace the new surroundings, friends and experiences are the ones who fit in very quickly.
We like our parents to be actively engaged in their children’s lives and the “back to school” stories for the first week make interesting dinner time conversations. In my experience, however independent a child may appear to be, there is always a level of dependency that parents need to be aware of and fulfil. A happy home-front makes a happy well-adjusted child who does well in school.”
Tim Waley, Principal, Uptown School Mirdiff
“The start of a new school year is always filled with a mixture of excited anticipation, or perhaps in some cases, fear and trepidation for those new to the experience.
For the old hands, the students who have done it all before, it really is largely a case of “business as usual”. There are generally few issues for them in settling rapidly back into the routines of the school day.
For children and parents, the best thing is to ensure you allow them to get to school on time without becoming flustered because you are running late.
It’s great for mums and dads to walk their child in on the first day, say “Hi” to the staff member concerned and then make a reasonably prompt exit, allowing the expert to start working their magic. The longer mum and dad linger, the longer it takes for a child to settle — believe it or not, the tears you see while you stay in eyeshot vanish pretty quickly when you have left.”
THE LIFE COACH
Sunaina Vohra, a youth and family life coach with Athena Life Coaching.
“I would advise parents to help their children develop a positive mindset towards the new academic year. Buying new bags, uniforms and stationery helps them get excited; clearing their desks will give them the space to come back and do their homework and projects.
However, an exercise that I think is a must is to sit with your children and discuss the events of the past academic year. The good events, achievements and awards that can be highlighted to boost their confidence and help them to focus on their strengths. The unpleasant events, failures, mistakes need to be discussed and children need to “clear their mind” of those events. The idea is not helping them brush those events under the carpet or forget them, but to empower them by changing their perspective about those events. What did they learn? How will they face those events in the future? This helps your child develop resilience skills.
Spend some time discussing goals children would like to set for the academic year — whether it is in academic, sports, music, art or self-development, such as building self-confidence, communication skills, dealing with peer pressure — life skills that will help them face the challenges of not only school but also college and beyond. Ask them to draw up a vision board.
Discuss the challenges they might face while on their path to achieving the above goals and what support they might need from their parents, teacher or a life coach to develop themselves.”
THE PE TEACHER
Mick Wright, Head of Sporting Activities, Uptown School Mirdiff
“Dubai is a transient city to live in, and I think one of the most challenging aspects of school life is having to start afresh in a new school. Whether you are new to Dubai, moving from primary to secondary, or have changed schools over the summer months, this can be a daunting experience. Sports and exercise can be excellent ways to make new friends, immerse yourself in the school’s culture and community, and perhaps try something new. The majority of international schools run comprehensive extracurricular programmes, catering to a range of team and individual sports. I would recommend students opt to participate in at least one team sport and one individual activity, as both foster a variety of qualities that contribute to holistic development. The important thing is to find an activity that will challenge and enthuse you, both now and in the future.”
THE PTA MUM
Ambara Sisodia, a member of Parent Volunteer Group at Dubai International School for the past four years and mum of one.
“I would urge parents to be involved in the school PTA or equivalent groups if they have the time. For those who don’t (I would imagine a majority), I would encourage them to engage constructively through parents in such groups, as these are a great channel to communicate their invaluable inputs and ideas. Such groups are a forum to organise parent volunteers for school events and improvement programmes. Involved parents understand the challenges schools face and become part of the solution. A parent-school partnership has been known to have a significant positive impact on children’s achievements. It is a win-win relationship: student achievement improves and the school develops a positive reputation in the community.”
THE CHEF (AND MUM)
Maha Al Mazrouei, a mother of four and owner of children-friendly cafe, Mellow Yellow.
“From the perspective of food, returning to school is hard because vacation allows children to break all the rules — with ice-creams, cookies and junk food. It’s important to make children feel like they are still on vacation for the first few days so that they don’t feel the change. Tray bakes are a great alternative to French fries or crisps.
Take thinly-sliced apples, zucchini, carrots and sweet potatoes and add a bit of cinnamon, lightly brush them with olive oil and bake them. They have the same crispiness and feel as crisps yet they are a healthy alternative and a great side to put in a lunchbox with a wholewheat fajita wrap, healthy sandwich or even a homemade wholewheat bun burger.
Adding raspberries, strawberries or even cranberries with a slice of orange into water can be a fun way for children to enjoy drinking their water without the sugar that juices have.”
THE FINANCIAL ADVISER
James Thomas, regional director at Acuma.
“Set the example. It’s important to realise that children often learn most by what they see their parents doing and not simply what they’ve been taught. A good way to get children to value money and manage it well is to set the example yourself by the way you manage your family’s finances.
Talk about your family’s financial priorities and set some financial goals together. Explain why you don’t want to go into debt, describe how much it costs to borrow money and how it can affect your family’s future. Explain why you want to be able to financially stay in your home, or eventually purchase a home of your own, or indeed whatever your financial goals are. The more you talk about what you value as a family and work together to achieve your goals and live your values through what you save and spend money on, the more your children will share those values.
Show them your monthly budget. It can be a real eye-opener for children to see how much things cost and why you have to work so hard to earn the money to meet those needs.”
Are you sending little ones to nursery? Read on
Abbi Thirion, deputy manager at Blossom Nursery Downtown
“Communication is key. Give your child’s teacher information about your little one’s preferences, dislikes, fears and home routine. Of course teachers will get to know your child’s needs and preferences too but in the beginning it’s important to give them as much information as you can to ease the transition from home to nursery.”
• If you do not speak English at home, let the teacher know important words in your child’s vocabulary so they are comfortable communicating with the teacher.
• Check the nursery’s policies to ensure staff are trained in safeguarding, paediatric first aid and emergency preparedness. It is especially important if your child has an allergy to make sure the nursery is aware of this and has a strict policy in place to prevent an allergic reaction. • Let the teacher know if your child has any fears or concerns. For example, if they are afraid of water, teachers will take extra care during water play or swimming to make the child feel comfortable and eventually build their confidence enough to overcome their fear. While potty training, some children are afraid to use the toilet. Telling the teacher about this will help in the potty training process as they will communicate progress to you and can also give you some helpful tips.
• Basic information about your home routine is very helpful for teachers and makes your child feel more comfortable. Can you child eat on their own? Do they use the toilet at home? Do they know how to share? Does your child have a favourite stuffed animal or blanket? Some teachers find that for the first week a child is at nursery, it helps them feel safe if they have something from home. This can be a stuffed animal, special blanket or even pictures of mum and dad. As children get more comfortable they will not need to bring it anymore, but it can be helpful in the beginning.
Dress your child for play
• Although teachers try their best to make sure children’s paint stays on the paper and food goes into their mouths, spills do happen. Make sure the clothes your child is wearing can withstand spills once in a while.
• Leave a few changes of clothes at nursery and make sure you label everything (clothes, shoes, bottles, bags, hats and toys).
