Starting School? Top 5 Pieces of Advice from a Paediatric Chiropractor and a Psychologist: Starting Strong, Building Foundations Physically and Emotionally
- Dr Amy Norman
- Nov 26
- 5 min read
So you blinked, and suddenly your baby is starting school in 2026. You could have sworn it was just yesterday you were googling sleep windows, nap schedules, and “how to start my baby on solids,” and now your social media feed is full of lunchboxes, booklists, and black school shoe sales.
Without a doubt, this is a significant transition for your child, but it’s also a significant transition for you as a parent, as your little person embarks on a new journey of independence and growth.
This article will give you 5 pieces of advice from two different types of practitioners. Bronwyn Wall, a Psychologist from Mind Connect Psychology in Kogarah and from Dr Amy Norman, Paediatric Chiropractor from Dynamic Chiropractic located in Hurstville.
With Bronwyn having worked with families for over 15 years, most of that time spent within school systems, there are a few standout pointers that can help make this transition as seamless as possible. From the perspective of Dr Amy in the clinical space supporting children’s physical development, there are also some standout recommendations that can make this transition feel calmer and more supported.
Like with any change in life, it’s normal to experience a spike in anxiety. This is the brain and body’s natural way of protecting us from perceived threat. The only issue is that sometimes our brains, especially the developing brains of young children, can become hyper-vigilant, reading “threat” where there is simply “new.” The body then follows suit, leading to big physical, emotional, and behavioural responses. Our job is to help them understand that change does not automatically equal danger, and to equip them with the skills and confidence they need to navigate this new season.
The goal for this article is to help children be ready in both body and mind, equipping them with the physical foundations and emotional confidence to step into this new chapter.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare! (Physically and Mentally)
The emotional preparation
Begin familiarising your child with their new school as early as possible. Talk about school and what they can expect throughout the day. Practice eating from a lunchbox (yes - including opening packets and peeling a banana on their own!). Let them try on their uniform and wear it to the shops, and practice walking to school.
The NSW Department of Education has fantastic resources, including an e-book, colouring sheets, and a video of Daisy the Koala’s First Day at Big School.
Daisy’s First Day: https://education.nsw.gov.au/schooling/parents-and-carers/going-to-school/getting-ready-for-school/starting-primary-school/the-big-day/daisy-s-first-day
The physical preparation
In the same way children need emotional predictability, their bodies also need familiarity with the physical load of school.Start practising:
carrying a backpack
opening lunchboxes independently
managing clothing zippers and shoes
sitting upright for activities
using scissors
drawing and using pencils
You’re not just preparing their feelings, you are preparing their body for the new demands of the school day.
Build Social Skills and Body Awareness
Social readiness
Talk about making friends, taking turns, and simple conversation starters. Just as important are the skills of speaking up when something feels wrong or when they’ve been hurt. If possible, set up playdates before the term starts with children who will be in their class - even one familiar face can make the world of difference.
Physical readiness for social play
Playground games, climbing, running, and body-weight movements also help children learn spatial awareness. Some examples are:
how close to stand to another child
how to navigate busy areas
how to move confidently in group play
Whole-body coordination supports confident social interaction.
Practice Separation and Postural Strength
Emotionally
Develop a consistent, calm goodbye (cuddle → kiss → “I can’t wait to see you this afternoon”) and then leave. Lingering, while well-intentioned, often prolongs distress. Prepare your child for who will be doing pick‐ups and drop-offs, and talk about which days they may be attending OOSH so they know exactly what to expect.
This is also a wonderful opportunity to create a connection ritual - a tiny love heart drawn on both your hands, or a secret handshake only the two of you know. These become emotional anchors throughout the day.
Physically
While emotional separation skills are developing, so is the physical endurance to be away all day. Children need core strength to, sit upright during floor time, maintain attention, hold posture during writing and avoid fatigue-related fidgeting. Sometimes we will get children coming in with signs that they are inattentive- but it could also be that they do not have the postural endurance and hence why they are getting more antsy!
Activities like wheelbarrow walks, monkey bars, and sitting on a gym ball while drawing help establish this postural foundation and are easy to do at home or at a nearby park.
Use Visual Schedules and Fine Motor Practice
Emotionally & cognitively
Visuals eliminate our reliance on language and reduce cognitive load. They provide a child friendly checklist which reduces your child’s reliance on you to provide instructions every morning, and develop predictable and consistent routines.
Two visuals can make a huge difference:
A weekly calendar - so your child knows what’s coming up. Mark things like “Library Day,” “Sports Day,” and who will be doing pick-ups. This builds independence and helps them remember what they need.
A morning routine chart - outlining clear, consistent expectations. This supports independence and helps avoid those “how-are-you-still-in-pyjamas-and-the-school-bell-is-about-to-go!” mornings.
Physically & functionally
Alongside predictable routines, children need skill confidence with their hands. A lot of the time we think of preparation being letter and number recognition, writing their own name etc. However, these ideas are great ways to prepare for fine motor work that will also make the transition easier at school.
Things you can practice:
beading and threading
opening food packets
drawing and writing
cutting with scissors
twisting lids back on textas
managing clothing fasteners
Fine motor mastery = increased confidence & independence.
Protect Their Emotional Energy and Their Physical Alignment
Emotionally
Term 1 of Kindergarten is not the time to add new extracurricular activities or a packed social calendar (Friday night dinner for Aunty Beryl’s 80th may not be the greatest idea in Week 1!). Expect very tired kiddos! The mental load of new routines, sensory input, and emotional demands is huge for developing brains.
Early bedtimes, simple dinners, lots of cuddles and connection will be key to surviving the sweaty, messy, dysregulated 4pm tornadoes that may roll in.
Physically
School adds new body loads that quite often are very new to them. This includes long sitting, heavier backpacks, more structured movement as well as repetitive hand use. Some things can not always be avoided but there are still a few things that we can try to minimise the collective load we are putting on our little ones.
Support their body by:
ensuring backpack fit (we offer complimentary backpack checks in practice)
keeping weight ideally under 10% of body weight (hard to achieve I know!)
maintaining good posture habits
checking spinal alignment and gait patterns
supporting healthy sleep positions
Better alignment supports attention, comfort, motor coordination as well as emotional regulation. Improving these areas will never go to waste!
A Final Reminder…
As you step into this new season, try to slow down, take a breath and stay present. This chapter, with its oversized uniforms, lost lunchboxes, emotional drop-offs, and proud little milestones, will soon become another memory in your parenting journey. Just like every season before it, this one will pass, your social media feed will shift again, and you’ll look back wondering how it all happened so quickly!