Drop offs at school, particularly for Kindergarten and new students, can involve tears and clinging.

Here are some ideas that might help make drop offs easier:

• Have a drop off ‘routine’. This could be a kiss/cuddle or a special handshake that signals it is now time to go into school.
• Keep your morning routine and drop off routine as consistent as possible
• Remind your child where you will pick them up “I love you. I’ll see you at the end of the day at homelines”.
• Don’t linger at the gate. Once you have said goodbye head back to the car. It shows your child that you are confident they will be safe and happy at school.
• Try to stay relaxed and keep a calm manner about you (I know this is not always easy - I have a crier too).
• There are teachers and older students at the gate from 8.30am so if you need support they will happily take your child’s hand and walk them to a friend.
• If possible, have some ‘special’ time at the end of the day where you can talk with your children about ‘the best thing about today’.
• If saying goodbye continues to be challenging, please talk to your teacher about it. There are other strategies they may be able to put in place to assist you.

Confident Carers, Co-operative Kids

Confident Carers is a nine-week parent group aimed at addressing a range of 'oppositional' behaviours displayed by children (4-11 years), such as disobedience, arguing with adults, and sometimes lashing out when angry. The program engages parents to connect with their parenting values and grow the parent-child relationship. This acts as the foundation to then introduce or tweak effective behaviour management strategies like praise, rules, effective instructions, and applying consistent and fair limits and consequences. 

The program runs during school terms, Weeks 2-10 on Tuesday afternoons (12:30-2:30pm) and evenings (5:45-7:45pm). Term 2 intake appointments are being booked for Mondays/Tuesdays for the last few weeks of this term, and are run by phone, online and face-to-face.  

If you would like more information please contact: 

Rachel Sheppard ( Registered Psychologist)

Port Macquarie Allied Health
Level 1, 21 Short Street, 
Port Macquarie, NSW 2444

Ph: 0466387466

E: rachelsheppardpsychology@gmail.com

W: http://portmacquariealliedhealth.com/index.php/rachel-sheppard/

Kelly Russell
School Counsellor