Play this with your child on the morning of a first day, at a new school, a new class or a new club, and on the evenings before if they’re worried. It takes about two minutes. Sit together and let them hear it twice. Older kids may like to say the lines along with it.
Read by Ivy
01Today is my first day at a new school. It’s okay to feel wobbly inside.
02My tummy feels fluttery because this is new. New things often feel smaller by lunchtime.
03One hello to one person. That’s a great start.
04My teacher is there to help. Asking where to go is brave.
05Nobody knows everything on day one. Everyone in my class is learning too.
06If I feel sad, I take big slow breaths. A hug is waiting at home.
07I can be kind to someone who looks lost. Kind kids make good friends.
08I’m still me in a new place, and I still know how to laugh.
09Each day gets a bit easier. Bit by bit, this school becomes mine.
10Someone who loves me is waiting after school. They want to hear all about it.
In the app, hear your own lines in a realistic voice, or your own, and change any of them. Get early access
Why it’s written this way
Children believe what matches how they feel, so the loop starts by naming the wobbly, fluttery feeling instead of telling them they’re not nervous. Once the feeling is allowed, the next notes give them small things they can actually do: say one hello, ask the teacher, take a slow breath.
The words are short and familiar, one idea to a note, so a five-year-old can follow and an older child can say them along. Nothing promises they’ll make lots of friends on day one, because that might not happen, and a child who hears a promise break stops trusting the words. Instead it says that each day gets a little easier, which is true for most children.
The middle note, being kind to someone else who looks lost, gently turns their attention outward. The loop ends on the person waiting for them at home, so the last thing they hear, and the first thing they hear again, feels safe.