Jo Frost urges parents to address key issue that ‘sets kids up to struggle’ at school

Jo Frost was brutally honest about a skill that many children are lacking before they go to school – so she urged parents to act to rectify this important issue

You’ve probably sorted out uniforms, lunchboxes and stationery, but now Jo Frost is encouraging parents to prepare their children for school in a different way.

The Supernanny star, 56, spoke candidly about an issue she’s seen cropping up among kids who struggle to adjust in the classroom. The parenting expert believes all children need to learn about sharing, communicating and cooperating with others before they go back to school.

In an Instagram plea to mums and dads, Jo said: “Parents, this is worth listening to. You know, your child is special to you. Of course they are. But if we start teaching them that they’re more special than anyone else, that’s where they’re going to struggle.”

Jo continued: “I say this because I see it. Can I ask you, do you teach your children how to lose a game? Do you teach them how to accept someone else’s imaginary game at recess, even when it’s not their idea?

“Do you teach your child how to listen like every other child being asked to line up at school? Do you teach your child how to be sociable? Because these things don’t just happen.”

Worryingly, Jo has witnessed kids who find it tricky to adapt to the classroom environment. She added: “What I’m seeing is children struggling in school with others, not because they’re not capable, but because they haven’t been taught how to function alongside their own peers.

“How to take turns, how to wait, how to not always be in control. And that’s important because your child is special to you.

“But the moment we teach them without even realising that they are more special than anyone else, we’re going to be setting them up to struggle big time, because school doesn’t work like that.

“Friendships don’t work like that. Life doesn’t work like that. It’s give and take.”

How to teach kids to share

If this is something you are struggling with in your household, there are some steps you can take before school starts to help your children adjust to sharing space with others.

According to the parenting expert, this involves showing kids they can’t always get their own way. This may be difficult and cause tantrums, but it’s essential to set your little ones up for life.

Jo added: “So this is where you come in, in the everyday moments. Board games – let them lose. Let them follow someone else’s idea in real life, expect them to listen, to line up, to take turns.

“You guide it, you repeat it, you hold their expectation. Because that’s how they learn and listen.”

You may worry that your children will be upset, but Jo thinks it’s well worth it in the long-term. In fact, she believes setting boundaries is essential for kids to find their place in the world and be more confident.

The Supernanny star concluded: “Loving your child deeply – that should be a given – but loving them doesn’t mean removing the lessons they need because teaching them how to exist alongside others, that’s what helps them feel more confident, feel more capable and truly secure them in the world around them.”