Do you drop your gradeschooler off on the first day of a new school year or do you walk them to their?

Question

classroom? I have home schooled my son for K & 1st grade & he's going to start public school this year for 2nd grade. The principal told me it would be best if I just drop him off & let him walk in on his own next year, but how will my son know where to go? I feel like I should walk him in & help him find his room the first day. He did go to the school last year for PE & music, but he still doesn't know where his classroom is going to be.

Answer 1

Walk him to his classroom for the first 3 days.  Do not walk him into the room.   After that, let him walk down the hall by himself to the room.  After a week, he should be able to walk from outside to inside his classroom.

Answer 2

I walk my son to his classroom and make sure he is settled in and then leave. Its a big thing for kids to start school and have a new classroom. I think its nice to be there and make sure they are OK and know where their classroom and toilets are.

Answer 3

At my kids school, they have to report to thier classroom that they had last year and the teacher gives them their new classroom number and meet the teacher outside from the classroom.

Answer 4

My mom walked me in to class on the first day every year until fifth grade. Walking your second-grader to his classroom is completely reasonable :)

Answer 5

Don't worry. The teachers will show him where to go.

Answer 6

Definitely, you're right. I would walk him in to help him find his classroom and it will surely make him feel a lot more comfortable with you by his side.

Answer 7

I actually agree you should drop him off but please call the principal in advance of the first day (and the day before to remind him) to make sure there is a teacher or helper assigned to find him.

At my older kids elementary school they had teachers on the playground lining up by grade and the older kids kind of knew to go to the upper playground while the parents of younger kids (k-2) knew to drop their kids at the lower playground. Then all three teachers per grade would come out and call names of the kids in their classes.

In our new town grades 7-12 go to school the first day as usual and a great number of kids take the bus. We also are supposed to go to register the kids at the admin building on certain days and at that time I believe the older kids will get their schedules and my daughter will find out who her homeroom teacher is. Our middle school is 7-8 only so I am sure 7th graders will get a lot of help or will meet in the gym first for their homeroom teachers to come get them.

Anyway...grades k-6 -- the elementary kids in our district have parent-teacher conferences the first day and they get to meet the teacher and see the classroom as do the parents.  I think that is excellent even though after all the meetings we have for school I am kind of sick of showing up at the schools (meetings in the Spring to register for kindergarten and for parent orientation for 7th grade; a whole other kindergarten parents meeting the night of the first day of school; a meeting for parents of 7th graders going into the advanced reading program sometime before school starts; separate registration mentioned before; and the parent-teacher conference at the school for our kindergartener.)

I know it is a hard beginning for you guys but I would not sweat it. If there is no teacher looking for him or formal way of gathering the kids (though I would find that weird) there should be signs leading to the office and he should go there first thing. Then they can get him to his class.

Hope I was helpful. Hang in there!

Answer 8

lol

You walk them to their classroom silly...

I have 10 children and have done the same for all of them...

Answer 9

I'd walk him to the classroom.  Another option is to go to the school the day before (or Friday before), as the school will likely be open with teachers there, but no kids, and walk with him to the classroom, show him where the lunchroom is and get him generally acquainted so he doesn't feel as much anxiety about it, especially since the other kids will know where they're going and what to expect.  That way if you're leaning toward letting him walk up on his own, you can do that and feel assured he'll know where he is going.  I think the principal has a point, that from a 'mommy, don't leave me' perspective, he'll be better off walking in on his own and may even prefer walking in on his own, especially if the other kids are doing that.  Don't make him too different from his peers - if the other parents aren't doing that and your kid feels ready for it - drop him off at the front after a visit to the school with him days in advance.  I think this is better anyway, this way he can practice (in his head) getting to his class.

Answer 10

why don't you ask your kid what he would prefer

Answer 11

I would walk him in....especially if going to a public school is new to him. At that age he would probably feel alot better if you helped him find his classroom.

Answer 12

walk him to his class on at least the first day, then if you feel he is ok then start dropping off.

mine is in prek so i will walk her to class every day.

Answer 13

Walk him in,don't leave him alone,he'll get scared and confused :(

Answer 14

I walked my daughter to class for Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade. This coming year she asked me not to. We are going before school starts to pay book fees and i will show her what room it is and where. I would walk him in for the first time at a new school.

Answer 15

awwuuh! Kudos for home schooling your son. I think you should walk him to his class at first. He will find his way after that.

Answer 16

What....the principal is wrong!  You always take them the first day and drop them at the classroom...until they get to like the 5th grade...then my son said"Ican handle it mom!"....take him in for your comfort and his!

Answer 17

I would definitely walk my child to kindergarten and first grade.  Second through fifth grade I would do whatever my child asked me to do, and after fifth I wouldn't walk them.  I expect my second grader this year is going to want me to walk him, but I seriously doubt my fourth grader will.  

As for finding the classroom, at many schools you can go walk around the school before the first day so he can find where his classroom is.  I have to drop off medications for my kids before the first day of school and every year we use that opportunity to find the kids' classrooms.

If he wants you to walk him, don't walk him into the classroom, just up to the door (and then offer a cheery and confident "goodbye" so you convey you know he'll be fine).