Wonder Situations · Transitions
A field-guide story to read together
First Day of School
A gentle walkthrough for drop-off nerves.
Ages 3–7 · 2–3 nights before school starts, then again the morning of.
Page 1 of 6
A new kind of day
Soon it will be the first day of school. School is a place for learning, playing, and meeting helpers and friends. We look for the same building, and we go as a pair.
Point together
- The school building we will look for.
- We go as a pair.
- The door we will find together.
Page 2 of 6
Morning steps
In the morning we wake up, get dressed, eat, and pack your bag. Same steps, same order: shoes, bag, door. That helps your body feel ready.
Point together
- Shoes, bag, breakfast — same order.
- The backpack that comes with you.
- Doing the steps together is the plan.
Page 3 of 6
We go together
A grownup takes you to school. We walk or ride. When we arrive, we stay together until we find your classroom and your teacher.
Point together
- We stay together until the classroom door.
- Your backpack comes with you.
- The helper we look for at the door.
Page 4 of 6
Hello and goodbye
We say hello to your teacher. Then we say goodbye: hug, three words, then I leave. Goodbye can feel big. That feeling is allowed, and a short goodbye is the plan.
Point together
- Hug, three words, then I leave.
- Your teacher stays in the room.
- A short goodbye is the plan.
Page 5 of 6
Your grownup comes back
Your grownup always plans to come back. While you are at school, you learn, play, eat, and rest with helpers nearby. Pickup is a real plan, not a maybe.
Point together
- A helper stays in the room.
- Learn, play, eat, rest.
- Pickup is a real plan, not a maybe.
Page 6 of 6
End of day
At the end of the day, we find each other again. You can tell one thing you liked and one thing that felt hard. Both kinds of stories are welcome.
Point together
- We find each other at pickup.
- One liked thing.
- One hard thing is allowed too.
Keep these pages for you
Grownup pages
Parent script
- We'll practice our goodbye: hug, three words, then I leave.
- Your feelings can be big and you can still be safe.
- I come back after school. That part does not change.
Try it together
Role-play drop-off with stuffed animals: hello, hug, goodbye wave, then 'pickup time.'
Parent note
Short, predictable goodbyes usually work better than long lingering. Name the feeling, then follow the plan.
For professionals
Great for school anxiety supports — pair with a visual schedule for the real classroom routine.