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How I grow and learn - school readiness leaflet

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How I grow and learn - school readiness leaflet

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Learning happens everywhere and all the time for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. Your child’s experiences in these early years lay the foundation for their learning in later years.

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My first day at school game - BBC Bitesize

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My first day at school game - BBC Bitesize

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This is a great game to play with your child when preparing to start primary school. Help your child to create their character and pick a school jumper, then explore the school and find all the different activities to play.

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This is a great game to play with your child when preparing to start primary school. Help your child to create their character and pick a school jumper, then explore the school and find all the different activities to play.

Once the register has been taken, have a go at painting, block-building or making a calm jar. Keep an eye out for fun things to explore in the classroom - is that a butterfly?

Next it's lunchtime, remember to wash your hands, eat up and then to pop to the toilet afterwards. Then, why not explore the playground?

Then it's home time, wave to all your new friends - you'll see them again tomorrow.

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Play the My First Day at School game and build an avatar! This BBC Bitesize primary year 1 and 2 game is also suitable for parents to play.

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Ideas to help your child feel confident when starting school

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Ideas to help your child feel confident when starting school

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This video, made by Speech and Language Therapists, has some great ideas to help you prepare your child for starting school and feel confident during those first few weeks.

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Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

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Children starting in reception is an exciting but also potentially anxious time for parents. If your child isn’t quite clean and dry, or they have a medical condition such as constipation it can be an additional source of worry.

What if they have an accident in class? How do I talk to their teacher about this? Here are some tips and information to help take the worry out of starting school.

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Is your child reliably clean and dry in the daytime? If the answer to that is no, don't panic! Maybe you've been trying but things haven't been going well...

There can be reasons why children struggle to get their wees and poos in the potty or toilet. Help is at hand below.

If you haven't starting potty training yet, look at our information on how to potty train.

Children with additional needs may need extra time and effort with toilet training. We have information and support on tailoring toilet training to support your child's individual needs and capabilities.

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Concerned about how your child will manage using toilets when they start school? Find out how to prepare your child and get support from school with toileting problems.

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Let's Get Ready! Bookbags - Shropshire Library

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Let's Get Ready! Bookbags - Shropshire Library

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The bag contains four carefully selected books about daily routines and first experiences, plus tips for parent's and carers. They are FREE to borrow for up to three weeks.

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Understanding your child - free child development courses

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Understanding your child - free child development courses

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A range of free online and in-person courses to help you understand baby/child development. Covering topics such as:

Having Fun Together

Behaviour Difficulties

Sleep

Communication

Development Needs

Parenting Styles

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Free Rhyme Time sessions at your local library

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Free Rhyme Time sessions at your local library

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These free sessions are great for socialising with other children, plus joining in with nursery rhymes helps speech and language development. Find your local session here.

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A vaccination guide for pre-school children

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A vaccination guide for pre-school children

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It is important for your child to be up to date with their vaccinations before they start school. This leaflet explains what vaccinations are recommended for 0-5 year olds and how they will protect your child.

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When should I start brushing my child's teeth? When should my child start going to the dentist? How can I find an NHS dentist? Find out here.

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From brushing their first tooth to their first trip to the dentist, here's how to take care of your children's teeth.
A regular teeth-cleaning routine is essential for good dental health. Follow these tips and you can help keep your kids' teeth decay-free.

Toothbrushing tips

It's important to use a fluoride toothpaste, as this helps prevent and control tooth decay.
Children aged up to 3 years

Start brushing your baby's teeth as soon as the first milk tooth breaks through (usually at around 6 months, but it can be earlier or later).

Parents or carers should brush the teeth.

Brush teeth twice daily for about 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste.

Brush last thing at night before bed and on 1 other occasion.

Use children's fluoride toothpaste containing no less than 1,000ppm of fluoride (check label) unless a dentist advises family toothpaste containing between 1,350ppm and 1,500ppm fluoride.

Use only a smear of toothpaste.

Make sure children don't eat or lick toothpaste from the tube.

Children aged 3 to 6 years

Brush at least twice daily for about 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste.

Brush last thing at night before bed and at least on 1 other occasion.

Parents or carers should brush the teeth.

Use children's fluoride toothpaste containing no less than 1,000ppm of fluoride (check label) unless a dentist advises family toothpaste containing between 1,350ppm and 1,500ppm fluoride.

Use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.

Spit out after brushing and don't rinse - if you rinse, the fluoride won't work as well.

Children aged 7 and over

Brush at least twice daily for about 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste.

Brush last thing at night before bed and at least on 1 other occasion.

Use fluoride toothpaste containing between 1,350ppm and 1,500ppm of fluoride (check label).

Spit out after brushing and don't rinse - if you rinse, the fluoride won't work as well.

Children aged 7 and over should be able to brush their own teeth, but it's still a good idea to watch them to make sure they brush properly and for about 2 minutes.

How to help children brush their teeth properly

Guide your child's hand so they can feel the correct movement.

Use a mirror to help your child see exactly where the brush is cleaning their teeth.

Make tooth brushing as fun as possible by using an egg timer to time it for about 2 minutes.

Don't let children run around with a toothbrush in their mouth, as they may have an accident and hurt themselves.

Taking your child to the dentist

NHS dental care for children is free.

Take your child to the dentist when their first milk teeth appear. This is so they become familiar with the environment and get to know the dentist. The dentist can advise you on how to prevent decay and identify any oral health problems at an early stage. Just opening up the child's mouth for the dentist to take a look at is useful practice for the future.

When you visit the dentist, be positive about it and make the trip fun. This will stop your child worrying about future visits.

Take your child for regular dental check-ups as advised by the dentist.

Find a dentist near you

Fluoride varnish and fissure sealants

Fissure sealants can be done once your child's permanent back teeth have started to come through (usually at the age of about 6 or 7) to protect them against decay. This is where the chewing surfaces of the back teeth are covered with a special thin plastic coating to keep germs and food particles out of the grooves. The sealant can last for as long as 5 to 10 years.

Fluoride varnish can be applied to both baby teeth and adult teeth. It involves painting a varnish that contains high levels of fluoride onto the surface of the tooth every 6 months to prevent decay. Some children may need this more often. It works by strengthening tooth enamel, making it more resistant to decay.

From the age of 3, children should be offered fluoride varnish application at least twice a year. Younger children may also be offered this treatment if your dentist thinks they need it.

Ask your dentist about fluoride varnish or fissure sealing.

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Find out how to look after children's teeth, including advice on brushing, toothpaste, establishing a routine and taking a child to the dentist for the first time.