Your little one’s about to take a big step. Of all the parenting decisions made by caring moms and dads, deciding when a child starts school may have one of the greatest impacts.

The first day at school is always a big step but you can prepare your child by talking to them about it, explaining and showing them where the school is, what they will be doing and for how long. Listen to their concerns, tell them about some of the things they will enjoy and make sure they know you’ll be there to pick them up afterwards.

A key transition to prepare your child for school is beginning to set-up and practice your school routines.

It may also be helpful to get to know other children who are starting the same school so they have a familiar face, and you can have some fun by letting your child choose some of the things they might need, such as bags, uniforms and stationery.

Montessori classrooms give great inspiration for how to set routines at home. In the Montessori classroom, children are given consistent routines and a “prepared environment” to learn with each day.

Consistency and preparation provides a child with external order, a key component to the child developing a sense of internal order and safety.