home, the more he will be able to do
it at school – and the less likely he is to
need a chiropractor.
The nitty-gritty
Another way to help your child
become high school-ready is to
prepare him for the itsy-bitsy, nitty-
gritty of his new school life. Your child
might be travelling to school on his
own for the first time, either by bus,
by MTR, by ferry or on foot – or
any combination of the above. Make
sure you practise the journey and
top up his Octopus card beforehand,
plus discuss a few contingencies –
transport does not always run to plan.
If you know any other local children
who will be attending the same
school, could you set up your children
as travel buddies? The new school day
will probably involve an earlier start,
so try to rein in bedtimes before term
begins so your child is not snoozing all
the way through his first few weeks.
When it comes to kit, make sure
all uniform, equipment and stationery
is bought in good time, and that
everything fits – no one wants to turn
up at a new school with a shirt that is
three sizes too big. And on the subject
of uniform, it is often worth investing
in extra sports kit, as this seems
particularly prone to going walkabout.
Another thing to find out is if there are
any restrictions on haircuts or styles
and, for girls, jewellery and make-up.
And what about lunch? Will your
child bring a packed lunch, or buy
lunch at school – how much money
will he need?
Technology has also added a
new layer of responsibility onto many
children’s secondary school lives.
Your child might be given – or have
to provide – a laptop or an iPad, so
make sure you know the requirements
beforehand. Will your child be given
a locker to store his device safely when
he is not using it – and if so, will he
need to bring a padlock? If your child
has a phone, does he know the rules
about phone use in school?
December 2014
43
