Helping children start school is a chance for Christian parents to shine

The build up to your child starting school is a weird one. No matter how “ready” they are for it, it takes an emotional toll on parents. It is a big thing. Whether they’ve been full time at nursery or with child minder, or part time or at home with parents/grandparents, school is a gear shift. There’s uniform to wear, routines to follow and suddenly the staff are going to become really significant adult figures in your child’s life. Your baby is now a small person and you look back and realise that the time really did go fast… even though during it, it felt never ending!

Start intentionally praying for your child’s school

There’s are many ways to help a child to prepare to get ready for school, but here’s some ideas for Christian parents for this new season.

Pray

Start intentionally praying for your child’s school. Pray for the teachers, staff, the children, the other parents/carers, the place. You could do this in a few different ways…

1. Pray for your child as they start. Pray over them and with them. Talk to them about how they are feeling and what they would like to pray for.
2. Pray as a family for the school. Make it a habit. Every morning/evening as you pray for other things, pray for the school.
3. Pray as you walk into the school. Either together with your child, or in your head as you walk around the site. That it would be a place where light beats darkness, where hope is known and where love is felt.
4. Pray with others - are there other Christian parents in the school? Is there a prayer meeting that happens already, or could you set one up?
5. If you’re up for it, you could let the school know that you are praying for them and offer a way for people to share any prayer requests with you.
6. Pray for opportunities to share faith with others.

could you be someone who is an encourager to the staff somehow

Act

The school community now becomes part if your life too. How will you live out Matthew 5:16 in the school – letting your light shine that other’s may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven?

Here’s a few ideas…

• Talk to other parents/carers on the playground. It probably sounds very obvious, but I’ve been on the playground or at birthday parties where no parents are talking to each other. Initially I thought it was a me thing, then I realised that actually most were up for chatting, it just needed someone to get over the initial breaking the ice! It doesn’t have to be a long chat if you’re heading to work etc. but quick hellos and smiles are easy ways to build connections.
• Get involved where you can. Do this with realistic expectations of your time and capacity!! Not everyone can be that super parent who runs the PTA, is a governor, classroom reader, star baker, all singing and dancing parent. But think about what you could do. Some options could be…
  • Governor
  • PTA
  • Classroom reader
  • Offer to help with school trips
  • Asking the teacher if there’s things you could do to help them out (e.g. cutting things in prep for future lessons)
  • What gifts do you have? Could they be a blessing to the school? Music? Gardening? Sport?
  • Helping other parents – maybe those who need extra support?
  • Helping at the PTA events – disco/fairs/sales etc.

Read more:

How Christian parents can prepare their kids for a new start this September

• Be an encourager. I remember when I was in a session led by Anna Shaw from CPAS and she talked about the power of encouragement. Teachers often get the complaints, sometimes when things are going well we don’t acknowledge it! So could you be someone who is an encourager to the staff somehow.
  • Could you send an email saying thanks for something. Could be to the teacher. Could be to the Head. Could be to the governors to say how much you appreciate something.
  • Write cards to staff encouraging them – could be just from you, or you could do with your child too.
  • Send in treats for the staff room. Let’s face it, a homemade treat is always amazing, but if you don’t have time for that, shop bought would go down just as well.

Yet there’s many in schools who will have never heard about Jesus

Share

Romans 10:14 says “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? and how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone telling them?”.

Sharing faith is a big part of a Christian’s life as we’re all called to go and make disciples. Yet there’s many in schools who will have never heard about Jesus. Could you be someone who offers to support the school in sharing what Christians believe? Depending on your availability, things like:

• Assemblies
• Lessons
• Lunch clubs

Could all be ways to help the school. It’s important any of these are done well. I recommend going on Scripture Union’s ‘Introduction to Schools Ministry’ training if you’re considering these - where you’ll get equipped to know best practice for sharing faith well in a school context.

If that’s not where you’re at, maybe you could buy some books for the school (or get your church to help pay for some). We made up a box of different Christian books for my daughter’s first school – story books, Bibles and more so that each classroom could have one and there could be some in the library.

Starting out at school can feel busy and pretty relentless with all the emails and things to sort. But the years will fly by, so what a great opportunity to be intentional about making the most of the primary school years and the role we play as Christian parents in that place. Before we know it, they’ll be graduating university….!!!