life. To an adult it doesn't
seem like much in the grand scheme of things but we've gotten older and
forgotten how much
fear is involved. It's a big step going into a new school where you
don't necessarily know
anyone. There are two main times when this happens to a child. The first
is when then move up
in grade and the new grades are housed in a different school and the
second is when the family or
the child moves to a completely new area and the child is starting a
brand new school for the first
time. Both times are stressful for the child but there are things that
we as parents can do to help
them get through it.
The first situation is a little bit easier to deal with because there's
a possibility that some of your
child's friends might be at the new school with them. This help make the
transition into the new
school a little bit easier. Sometimes they'll even be in the same class
which helps even more. If
there's more than one school for them to go to like there are in bigger
areas most of the time
you'll be notified during the summer which school and class your child
will be attending which
gives you time to help your child adjust. Encourage them to talk to
their friends and see which
school they'll be going to and if they have any classes together. This
gives them a chance to start
talking about any fears and gives you a chance to alleviate them. Next
learn a little bit about the
school and point things out to them so that they begin to see it as an
adventure rather than
something scary. Finally, if there's a before school meeting with the
teacher be sure to take your
child. This gives them a chance to meet the person that will be teaching
them for the following
year and can make them feel a bit calmer about the situation.
The second instance is a little harder for a child to deal with. Not
only are they going to a new
school but they are in a new area and may be apprehensive about being
able to find their way
around. The first thing that you can do is decide how they'll be getting
to school each day. If
they'll be walking to school find out where it is and have your child
help you plan a route to
walk. After it's planned have them walk it a couple of times for
practice so that they feel
confident about how to get there. Another way that you can help is by
encouraging your child to
get to know the neighborhood kids. There's a good chance that some if
not all of them will be
going to the same school and meeting them will mean that your child
won't start school
surrounded by strangers as there will be some familiar faces. Find out
what kind of activities are
available at the new school and talk about them together so that they
can have something to lok
forward to.
Most of all just let them know that your always there to listen to their
fears and concerns. No
matter which of the two situations it is the simple act of listening can
have a great impact on
your child.