A teacher has sent the children in her class – who are starting school for the first time this year – a bag of “jitter glitter” to calm their nerves before the big day.
Mum Jayne Hardy, founder of mental health charity Blurt, shared a picture on Twitter of the small package her daughter Peggy received in the post at the weekend.
“Peggy is starting school this week and has just received a letter from her teacher with a bag of ‘jitter glitter’ to put under her pillow to help with any nerves she might have,” the mum wrote. “I can’t get over how thoughtful this is.”
The parcel came with a “jitter glitter” poem explaining what it was for, and a small pack of glitter.
The poem acknowledged that some children may be feeling anxious ahead of starting school. It encourages them to sprinkle some glitter under the pillow before they go to bed the night before school to keep them rested and relaxed.
Hardy, whose daughter will be starting a Cornish state school on Wednesday 5 September, said she felt blessed that Peggy has a teacher who understands the emotional side of transitioning through life.
“It was such a thoughtful but comforting thing to receive in the post,” the mum told HuffPost UK. “Peggy was surprised to have some post of her own and later said that her new teacher is very kind. It’s made the world of difference to her, and mine, starting school nerves.”
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The mum added: “She’s absolutely convinced too, that it’s magic glitter that will help her sleep well.”
It’s a small gesture but one that will no doubt make a world of difference to the children preparing for the first day at school this week.
Jitter Glitter poem in full:
The night before school is exciting and fun,
With so many things that just have to be done,
Your clothes are all ready, your shoes are too,
And your classroom is ready with fun thing to do.
There are so many questions that go through your mind,
All types of thoughts, some of every kind.
The day before school we all get the jitters down deep,
Making it really hard for us to fall asleep.
So here is some jitter glitter, it’s really quite cool,
It’s something to help you be rested and ready for school.
Just sprinkle the glitter under your pillow in bed,
The night before school starts when you lay down your head.
The glitter will help you sleep through the night,
Letting you wake up feeling fresh and bright.
We’ll sprinkle the glitter under our pillows too,
And remember we can’t wait for school so we can see you.
Has your child’s teacher done anything special for your child starting school this week? We’d love to know! If you’d like to share your story, please email amy.packham@huffpost.com.