Guilty Mums Hub
Aug 25, 2017 · 3 min read

We’re very fortunate to have a guest blog this month, written by Career Coach Fiona Clark from Inspired Mums. Fiona specialises in Career, Confidence, Stress Management, Team workshops, ECR Emotional Intelligence leadership skills development, DISC personality profiling (for full details see bottom of the page).

I met Fiona a couple of years ago at a career workshop for new mums, it’s a real pleasure to have Fiona join us and provide some valuable tips for starting the new school year.

Top tips to survive (and enjoy) your first few weeks at the school gates.

Your child’s first day at school is undoubtedly a momentous occasion. You’ll probably have spent the days and weeks running up to it focusing on how your son or daughter is feeling about the move to big school, when, if the truth be told, it is often us mums who feel the most nervous of all.

So as you drop off your child at the school gates for the first time, you start asking yourself ‘Will anyone talk to me in the playground?’ or ‘How on earth will I pluck up the courage to start conversations with the other mums?’ — take a deep breath and follow these top tips from Fiona Clark, career and confidence coach and founder of Inspired Mums, to help you start off on the right foot.

1. Remember you’re not alone

It’s important to bear in mind that you won’t be the only mum feeling this way — many parents feel nervous about playground politics and their child starting school. You are sure to find some kindred spirits — it will be immediately obvious who the new parents are as they will look how you feel!

2. Be a good role model for your child

Set a good example for your child by greeting people and introducing yourself, as this is what your son or daughter will have to do as they make friends and get to know their class mates. Be brave — even if you feel the fear — remember to smile, look people in the eye and say hello.

3. Ask questions to break the ice

Having kids the same age gives you lots of easy openers — so use them to find common ground and start a conversation. Good examples are: “Is this your first week as well?” “What class is your child in?” or “How are they settling in?” Asking questions is a great way to build rapport and connect with people, and also takes the pressure off you thinking of something interesting to say!

4. Take your time

Be patient — in reality you don’t always meet your kindred spirits in the first couple of weeks. It’s really hard to form meaningful friendships in the 5 minutes at the end of the school day, so take the plunge and organise a night out with the mums in your class — other mums in the same situation as you will jump at the chance to have a social!

5. Offer to volunteer

If you have the time and enjoy volunteering, be on the parents’ fundraising association — there’s no quicker way to meet a group of mums than by organising events to raise money for the school!

Remember — just as it takes time for your child to settle into a new school, so it takes a while for the mums to really get to know one another. As the weeks go by and your children have play dates, go to birthday parties and attend school events — you will have more opportunities to build stronger relationships with the other parents.

If you would like a free consultation with Fiona to talk about how she can help you boost your confidence so you can re-enter the workplace and find a fulfilling and family friendly role, then contact fiona@inspiredmums.co.uk or 07789 597209 or visit www.inspiredmums.co.uk

Like us on facebook:

www.facebook.com/InspiredMumsCoachin and follow us on twitter: ghttps://twitter.com/Inspired_Mum

)
    Guilty Mums Hub

    Written by

    Supporter and champion of working mums. Information, motivation and inspiration to find a better work-life balance and ease the #MothersGuilt

    Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
    Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
    Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade