Do you find yourself feeling anxious about how your child will adjust to their new environment?

As parents we prepare ourselves for their first day of school but what can we do to prepare them for their special day?

Take a look at these helpful hints that are sure to provide both you and your little one with comfort while embarking in this new adventure.

1. Keep calm – children feed off our emotions. We need to make them feel comfortable in their new surroundings.

2. Talk to your child about this new environment - paint them a picture of how school will be for them.

3. Arrange for a time to visit the school - make them more familiar with their new school before their first day.

4. Begin a routine weeks before the start of the school year- establish wake-up, nap and bedtime routines, to get them used to what their life will be.

5. Read books about the first day of school - get them to share any questions or concerns that they might have.

Here are some reading suggestions Wow! School!, Off to Kindergarten, Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten and Clifford's First School Day. For more titles, check out the Scholastic store for more titles.

6. Practice saying good-bye -saying your good-byes on that first day of school can be very difficult for both parent and child. Find a way to make saying goodbye special for both you and your child.

7. Be sure to say goodbye before separating from your child on that first day- slipping away unnoticed may cause panic and even more anxiety to your child.

8. Give your child time to adjust to their new surroundings - children react differently to things. It's normal for them to have mixed feelings at the beginning of the school year.

The most important thing to do as a parent during this time is to simply listen.

We need to listen to our children's feelings – reassuring them that feeling uneasy about going to school is okay.

Once the school year begins and you still feel that your child is not adjusting well be sure to speak with their teacher to help ease any uncertainties they child may be having.