Starting secondary school is a big milestone for kids, and a nerve-wracking one at that!
While our children were the ‘big ones’ in their primary school, they are about to enter a school where they will be the youngest again and it’s very daunting.
The summer holidays may have just begun but you can bet that if your child is preparing to go to secondary school then they are already thinking (and worrying) about it.
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How to help your child manage the transition to secondary school
Clinical psychologist Dr David Coleman offered some advice to parents whose children are worried about this transition.
Dr Coleman took to Instagram to share some advice with a parent who says their son is ‘already’ anxious about starting secondary school in September but his words are useful to all parents in a similar position.
He told his 221K followers that ‘some anxiety’ about starting secondary school is ‘completely normal’ so you should ‘resist the urge’ to only reassure your tween when they share their worries.
Instead, Dr Coleman says to acknowledge their fears and tell them that they are ‘valid’ feelings to have.
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Once you have acknowledged their feelings then you can go on to ‘offer some reassurance’ and your child may then be in a position to hear it.
You can help them focus on the things that they are actually looking forward to about secondary school.
On a practical level, you should ensure that they are familiar with the route to school, the school layout and maybe even meeting a teacher so they know a ‘friendly face’ waiting for them.
‘The more known things are, the less frightening they tend to be.’
Dr Coleman also urges parents to ‘watch’ their own anxiety around their child starting secondary school as your child will be ‘reading you all the time’. So you should try to show your child that you believe in their ‘capacity to manage this transition’.
