Counting the days ‘til the start of the school year and it looks like you’re more excited and nervous than your child. Whether it’s his first year in preschool or moving up to big school, we listed down the major concerns of parents and asked for tips from teachers and experts to prepare your child, and even you as parents for the school year ahead.

Me with my grade 2 students from Ateneo

Hi everyone! Here's an article I wrote for Smart Parenting magazine wherein I included some tips on how to create a good tandem with your child's teacher throughout the school year. It's not to make sipsip but more on getting to know how to work with the the teacher and knowing that we, teachers, are human beings who need our own space and time after school. Hope this helps especially for parents who are about to enter the world of big school!

You have now found a school that fits your personal beliefs and has a teaching philosophy that matches yours. If it's your first time to send your little one to school, heed these tips for building a healthy relationship with your child's second mother in his second home.

From Smart Parenting's website: 5 Ways to Make Your Child's Teacher your BFF
1. Communicate
There's no better way to express your thoughts and concerns than telling the teacher directly. If you're a bit apprehensive to approach her and think she is too busy to attend to you, then a simple note or letter to be given before or after class will do.
If you are concerned about your child's grades, you might want to assess his school performance first. Avoid putting the blame on the teacher straight away. Again, it's good to communicate with her directly and to ask for her help with solving the problem. Listen to her advice, and be willing to explore all options with her, even if it means acknowledging that your child does need help.

Teacher says: "I like parents who ask even the simplest questions. It shows how involved in and concerned they are with their child's performance in school." - Carmela Maniego, grade school eacher at Xavier School, San Juan City

2. Follow up
Some parents, especially those who are quite busy with work, tend to rely on the teachers too much. They let them decide even when it comes to personal matters, such as what food to buy for lunch. Remember, you still have the responsibility to constantly check up on your child after school hours. Check his homework, and note upcoming school events, such as a play, for example, where he plays a lead role. You don't want your child feeling left out just because you were too busy with your meeting the day before. If you really can't prepare something for, say, a potluck Linggo ng Wika celebration, then let the teacher know right away so she could make the necessary adjustments.

Teacher says: "I salute the parents [of my public-school students] who know how to cooperate [with their children's teacher]. Despite the lack of funds, I still see parents trying their best to bring the children to school and give them money for baon." - Loreen Eslao, volunteer teacher at Teach for the Philippines, a nonprofit organization

3. Trust your teachers
As the saying goes, do not judge a book by its cover. From the orientation or the very first day of school, pay attention to the teacher's reminders, and not how she matched her outfits. Teachers are trained to work with kids -- they know much about children's behavior and how to handle it. Let the teacher work her magic.

Teacher says: "Parents who do not pressure me are the best. They simply [trust] that I [know how to] handle their kids. Yes, I do make mistakes, but I can acknowledge them without the [need to be] judged." - Jaea Kiocho, grade school teacher at Xavier School, San Juan City

4. Know your boundaries
Teachers have personal lives, too. You may think that adding your child's teacher on Facebook is a friendly gesture, but the truth is you may be invading her personal space. Do not be too intrusive. You can still learn about her likes and dislikes (if you want to send her, say, a Christmas present) based on your child's stories. If you have school-related concerns, find the right time to approach her or send her a note.

Teacher says: "Some parents expect me to be available at all times, even after school hours. In my case, I don't reply to inquiries after 10 p.m. I also need to attend to my own personal needs." - Vicka Siddayao, kinder teacher, University of the Philippines Integrated School, Quezon City

5. Relax
When parents get too involved in their child's school performance, this may lead to a competitive attitude towards other parents and even other students. Relax -- your child is in school to learn and also to make friends. Let him do what he needs to do, and everything else will follow.

Teacher says: "The best way to help parents be more at ease with their child's education is to change their perspective. We teachers educate their child not [so he will get high] grades and [win] awards but in the hope that when he does achieve these [awards], it would be because he has acquired the skills (e.g., planning, researching, etc.) and the values (e.g., resiliency, independence, etc.) needed to get there." - Yna Mendiola, teacher at Mentari International School in Indonesia

Water has been one of my top choices when thinking about an activity that will grab the attention of my students, even my own child. Growing up, I used to play inside a timba (tub) while holding our garden hose. I'd spent hours inside it and it felt like swimming in the ocean with my water toys. And now, a lot of inflatable pools and toys are readily available in toy stores that come in different shapes and sizes making it more fun and more safe for your kids!

Some parents are hesitant to let children play with water for too long. Why? kids might get sick and let's face it, it's hard to clean up the messy and wet area right after. But consider doing this once in a while, maybe once a week for 30minutes to an hour. You'll see the wonderful benefits of engaging in water play, not just for tots, but for all ages!

Think outside of the box...errrr tub.

With just the tub and plain toys that are water-resistant, children will begin to use them in so many ways. It can act as a ship, a shark, or whatever it is they have in mind. Just keep in mind that the toys are not too small for them to swallow.

Stronger immune system

I like doing this activity in our garden. Aside from its easier to clean afterwards, my child enjoys running around with the hose with her feet touching the grass. I believe its important for kids to be exposed once in a while to breathe in natural air and be more familiar with their surroundings. She enjoys creating a puddle of mud and likes watering the plants as part of her play routine. Take note, she’s also wearing her favorite bathing suit!

Different concepts are introduced

Water can be used in many ways and concepts from Science, Math and Art can be taught. For Science on freezing to melting, you can show a bucket full of ice and then leave it under direct sunlight until it melts. Or mix few drops of different food coloring and see how colours change when asking about colours. For Math on measuring, bring our different sizes of cups and see how much you can put on each then compare. You can also do transferring of water from one container to another. For Art, place tempera paint on clean canvas and throw some water balloons on it to make your art piece. Easy and super fun!

It takes a while to prepare water activities for children. But on days when you just wanna have fun, a tub, water hose and some toys will be just fine. How about you, whats your favorite water play activity with your kids? :)