Worrying About Your Child's Development Now They're At School?

Lots of parents have gone through the ‘trauma’ of taking their babies to school for the first time. When you walk away from the school gate having just handed them over to the teacher, it’s difficult to tell which one of you was more teary, but before you left, you were observing. 

All mums discreetly check out the other kids while they’re waiting in line. 

They’re comparing what the other children can do, how well they speak, and how well behaved they are. 

How did your child compare to them?

Ultimately, we’re all worried that our kids aren’t where they should be by this age. It’s natural for any parent to fear that their child might not cope. 

The truth is that school is a steep learning curve. That doesn’t mean your child won’t make the climb and come out every bit as capable as the next child. 

On the contrary, it could be just the challenge they need to succeed.

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Soon all of the children will be reading and writing and bringing home words to spell. They’ll be physically more adventurous, and socially more outgoing. 

Your child will change so much over the coming months! That won’t stop you worrying though. You’ll still wonder if they’re making enough progress - it’s natural! You should definitely speak to your child’s teacher if you are concerned. 

Of course, they are on the ball and will be chatting with you if there are any problems.

So what can you do to give your child an edge with their learning? There are plenty of great educational tools you can use at home like Reading Eggs and maths apps for kids. 

There are dozens of great books aimed at young school age children too. Practice a little each day. Physically, your child is being challenged in PE. You can help too, by playing football, catch, and jumping around. 

But what if you’re still worried?

One of the biggest worries people have when children start school is their speech. Poor speech means your child won’t be understood by the teacher. 

And it may mean they are socially excluded by the other kids if they can’t contribute to conversations. Fortunately, there is speech therapy for children that can be accessed at any age. If you’re worried, ask the teacher. You might also want to speak to your school nurse or GP too.

*Collaborative post*