Helping Your Kid With School Transitions

Whether your child is heading into kindergarten or about to start their last year of high school, going back to school can always cause stress and your child may need your support to make the transition. Starting school for the first time is a big change and your little kiddos may be extremely nervous, so helping them prepare will help them immensely. As for your seniors, they will be starting to think about college and their future, and your guidance can help them feel more confident about the choices they make.

Luckily, if your children attend Resurrection Christian School, they will be able to grow throughout the school year with their friends, knowledge of the campus, and a community that will help them through the tough times in school. Our schools start at preschool age and end when your child graduates from high school, giving them the full school experience with a sense of belonging and a large amount of staff support.

While we will help your children as much as possible, you have the ability to help them as well, and we encourage you to do so. Going back to school can be scary, challenging, and overwhelming, and your children need you to help them through this hard time, even if they don’t ask for it.

While you don’t want to hold your child’s hand throughout their entire school career, you should be there for them to help them with problems, stresses, and needs they have. With the 2017-2018 school year starting, you should prepare your kids as well as yourself, be ready to help them when they need it. In this blog, we will go over how to help your children with the transition, help them throughout school, and help them prepare for the next step.

Preschool

If your little ones are finally at school age, you will want to make sure they are prepared and know what to expect before walking into the classroom. They should understand how to behave around others and that they will be learning a lot of different things. We provide them with a safe and caring Christian environment and will be teaching them everything from social development to different academic skills.

To best prepare your child for the year ahead, work with them on several things.

Work with your child on getting along with others. This is an important life skill and will not stop being used after preschool, so the earlier they master this skill, the better off they are. Teach them how to play well with others, share toys, and not interrupt. Have conversations with your kiddo to teach them how to properly address other people. We understand your preschooler is still young and may have trouble holding a conversation, but practice makes perfect! Help your child understand that saying hello and goodbye is polite and work with them on other manners as well. This will help them have an easier time behaving in class and working with other students. Social development is important to work on with young children and can help them develop other important life skills as they grow.

Not only should you help your child develop their life skills, but their academic skills as well. Start introducing them to the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, and other things they will be learning in preschool. Working on the alphabet or numbers regularly will help them begin to learn these things, which in turn, will help them excel in class and be ahead of the class. This will help them feel more confident with their abilities and learning will become fun.

Once your child has started school, make sure they are having a good time. We will do this as well, but it is important for you to make sure you child is learning, developing, and making friends. Ask them how their day was. Your interest in their school life will help them get excited to tell you everyday. You could even make a game out of it and tell them that every day they have to tell you one thing they learned, either in class, about a friend, and anything else they can come up with. This will help them get excited about telling you something and may even help them learn some better so that they can tell you all about it.

Your preschooler will be nervous during their first few weeks, but with your support and excitement they will have an easier time and be more willing to go to school everyday. They will most likely end up loving preschool as well!

Elementary To Middle School

Once your child has the hang of things, it will be easier for them to go back to school. It may even become exciting—reuniting with their old friends, meeting new ones, and learning more about their favorite subject will help your child be more prepared when heading back to school.

But making the transition from elementary school to middle school may be a different story. They went from being the oldest in the school to being the youngest, not knowing the building, and having to get used to a new system. Again, luckily for RCS students, they will be able to grow with their friends and will be more used to the different schools on our campus, helping them to feel better walking in the first day.

Help your children prepare by giving them a tour of their new school after getting their schedule. Knowing where their classes are right away can help them feel more confident walking in the first day. Students tend to be more nervous when they are not sure where they are going. You could even help by sketching out a map and marking where their locker is and where each class is.

Help your student with homework, have them teach your something they learned, and get them excited to be part of an older crowd and help them get involved. Being a part of a community at school can help them enjoy their time at school more and will help them feel excited about going to events with their friends.

Since your child has been doing this school thing for a while, they may not act as nervous as they once did, but just know they may be hiding it from you, so be supportive, excited, and help them when they need it.

Middle School To High School

This is a big transition for many students. High school is when grades truly start to matter and they need to start thinking about their future. They have a few years, of course, so don’t stress them out with future talk yet, just let them enjoy their high school experience.

This transition may be difficult for your kiddos, but like we said before, they have been doing this school thing for a while and they will most likely not show their nervousness or stress. Unfortunately, this is the age where kids begin to think they are too cool for their parents, so it is important to make sure you are not pushing them away as well. Let them be a teenager and don’t add stress to their lives. But make a point to show interest in their life. Ask them about their school, what they are learning, about sports they may want to participate in, and whatever else you can get them talking about.

If you can, help them with homework and give them advice when they ask. This is the age when children start becoming a little more independent are rely less on their parents to help them with everything. So if they don’t ask for help on homework, then just ask them to hang out—watch a movie, play a board game as a family, or go for a walk. Spending time with them will be as helpful as anything else and they may just open up to you.

High School To College

This is a scary but exciting transition for you and your kids. If your child is in their last year of high school, start asking them about their future plans. It is never too early to start making plans, applying to colleges, or deciding what they want to do. Helping them through the process will make them feel better and help them stress less. Throughout the year start helping them prepare—assist in scholarship applications, allow them to be independent, and help them finish school strong.

If your child currently just started their first year of college, pray for them and send them care packages. They are on their own now and you have done your job. Call them and answer when they call you. Make sure you are supportive of their choices and show interest in what they are studying. And remind them that there is no rush in choosing what they want to study.

If your child is making a big transition from one school year to the next, they will need your support and love. Show interest in their school work and spend time with them. This is a simple way to get your children excited about school and help them with these transitions.

At Resurrection Christian School, your student could have an easier time with the transitions thanks to the different schools all on one campus. Contact us and schedule a free tour.