• Convey a positive attitude about school.
• Make transportation plans clear to the child.
• Create a normal routine atmosphere at home the first few days of school.
• Give your child free playtime at home after school.
• Plan your day so that you can spend time with your child when he or she returns from school.
• Help your child cope with the occasional frustrations and disappointments in school.
• Remember that learning to like school and liking to learn are closely related.
• Avoid comparing this child's school experience with how siblings did when they began at school.
• Think of yourself as a coach who supports and facilitates your child's healthy development in school.

Source: National Institute of Mental Health's "Plain Talk Series."