Greenbelt News Review

Rules To Prepare Child For School
It seems but a short time since the familiar annual chant of the children, "No more pencils, no more books; No more teachers' dirty looks".
School days will soon arrive once more. For many children this will be a new experience and will be accompanied by mixed feelings on the part of both child and parent.
Dr. T. S. Englar, Prince Georges county health officer, offers some suggestions
General Health
Make sure your child is in good physical condition. In addition to his vaccination for smallpox he should have a complete physical check-up and dental examination.
It is a good idea for the mother to anticipate questions about the child's health and be prepared to supply information regarding his illnesses, immunizations, handicaps or restrictions and any communicable disease he has had.
By school age a child should have developed some good health habits. He should be able to go to the toilet without assistance. He should always wash his hands afterward and also before eating and have an established time for meals and going to bed. His clothing should be comfortable, of the right size and easy to put on. If clothes are new let him become sufficiently familiar with them to recognize them as his own. He should have clothing appropriate to the weather - raincoat, rainhat and boots when necessary and warm clothing when chilly days arrive.
Feelings of insecurity will be kept at a minimum if the child knows what to expect. He should know what his school and the room where he will be located look like. He should not expect his mother to stay with him. If he has gotten along without mother on previous occasions he will be better prepared to do so now. He should know how to get along with other children. Although he should realize that
his schooltime will not be entirely devoted to free play, neither should he be anxious about what will be expected of him. The child who only looks forward to going to school "so I can play ball with the other kids" has an attitude as unrealistic as one who moans, "The teacher might want me to read and I don't know how to read."
Safety On Way
Perhaps a major cause of parental anxiety will be centered around the child's safety on the way to and from school. The best precautions are to teach him practices for safety. If he must use the highway he should walk on the left facing oncoming traffic. If he rides a bicycle he should ride singly and in single file, and not try to show off or weave back and forth along the road or street. If he rides a bus he should know how to board and leave the bus, keep head and arms inside, refrain from creating a disturbance with other children or distracting the driver.
All children should learn to obey traffic signals and know the rules applying to their particular situation.
More vehicle accidents to children occur when crossing between intersections than in any other area. Walking in roadway and coming from behind parked cars also cause unnecessary deaths.
Teach your child the best route to take and see that he gets up early enough that he does not have to hurry.
At school he will be taught about health and safety and will be expected to observe safe practices. If possible it is best that he be accompanied by other children and he must be cautioned against accepting rides or gifts from strangers. Although safety for the school child is a joint responsibility of home and community the initial training must be assumed in the home.