If you have moved this summer, your children may be nervous about beginning classes at their new school this fall. While moving is a difficult and tedious process for all involved, it can be particularly daunting for children. Leaving behind friends, familiarity and comfort in exchange for alien territory and feelings of isolation may leave your child anxious, scared or depressed.
Helping your child adjust to a new school will take a little time and a lot of patience. Read on for some useful tips on how to aid them in their transition.
Talk about it. Your child may be harboring concerns without voicing them. Bring up the topic of starting a new school to initiate a dialogue–talking about her fears and apprehensions will lessen the burden. Validate her feelings by expressing empathy and offering examples when you felt similarly, and mention times in her past when she had to do something else for the first time–perhaps her first day at kindergarten or summer camp.
Research the school. The fear of the unknown will lessen if it becomes more familiar. Spend some time researching your child’s new school online and take notes of interesting classes or activities that you think would appeal to him. Encourage involvement in sports and other extracurricular activities, and be sure to point out classes or clubs of interest to your child that were unavailable at his old school. Getting him excited about whatever his new school has to offer will take his mind off of his nervousness.
Have a practice run. Before classes begin, go through the motions as if you were taking your child to school. Walk to the bus stop, map out the route to school if she will be walking, or drive her to school so she is familiar with where you will drop her off and what entrance she will use. You could also schedule a tour of the school, where you can check out the classrooms, cafeteria or other places she will need to find on her first day.
Get involved. Younger children are often comforted by their parent’s presence in the school. Join the P.T.A or volunteer as a classroom aid or a chaperone for class trips and school events. This will also help you to meet other parents and arrange play-dates for your children.
Keep home life routine. With so much change happening, it’s important to try and instill some level of stability for your child. Keep his home life as routine as possible–stick to your usual schedule for mealtimes, bedtime and playtime.
Expect regression. Even the most perfect angel may begin to exhibit undesirable behaviors as a reaction to increased stress levels. Your younger children may throw tantrums, have accidents, or crawl into your bed at night. Teens may become angry and withdrawn, rebel, or mouth-off disrespectfully. Maintain your authority as the disciplinarian, but try your best to be empathetic to what your child is experiencing.
Source: Movers.com
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