How to Help Children Adjust to a New School

Moving to a new school during the school year can be a scary situation for kids. They spend a great deal of their time in the school environment, so it’s an important space for them to have a strong level of comfort and familiarity. 

The time surrounding a school change can be filled with emotions like fear, doubt, anxiety, and excitement. But as a parent, you can do a lot to ease your child’s adjustment with a little organization and positivity. Here are eight easy tips to help your children adjust to a new school.

Focus on open communication. Openly talk with your children about the change and how it makes them feel, and discuss expectations and the challenges they are likely to face. Make them part of the process.

Keep the focus positive. Reassure your child about their concerns and present the challenges in a positive light as opportunities to try new things, make new friends, and join new activities.

Learn about the school. Find out everything you can about the school, from class sizes to activities, and tell your student to help ease fears about what to expect.

Explore new territory. Before the switch takes place, try a visit to the school or better yet, a tour. Try to meet some of the teachers, if possible. Take some time with your child to go over where to go and how to get there, including the safest route to school.

Encourage involvement. Talk to your student about getting involved in an activity, club or sport that they might be interested in. Discuss that it’s also a way to expand their group of new friends. 

Deal with the stresses. Expect that it won’t always be a smooth transition for your child. Make some extra time to be there for them when the road gets bumpy, and plan to help them deal with the extra stress.

Get involved yourself. Make sure to introduce yourself to teachers if you get the chance, and take advantage of opportunities to take part in school activities to familiarize yourself with the new school.

Get a healthy start. Make sure your child gets enough sleep in the days before and after the change so they aren’t starting from behind and are used to the new schedule. A healthy breakfast and snacks will also help during the day.