School Change: Its Effects And How To Overcome It – Being Parents

Starting the school year in a new school involves an adjustment process in which the child has to deal with the fear of the unknown. He may show uncertainty or insecurity which can make him feel helpless in the face of this new reality. If you are thinking about changing your school child, first think about how that change might affect him or her.

However, changes can open new doors to maturity, although this depends on the attitude of the child. You can help him in this time of change.

The role of parents in change

Changes are an integral part of life, they do not lead to confronting our fears, doubts and mistrust. Children, with their very limited experience, do not have the capacity to estimate the situations they are going to experience.

Therefore, parents must support and prepare them so that they can experience this transition with peace, confidence and success.

However, you should know that each child will have their own way of expressing the confusion they feel about change. It is for this reason that you must be attentive to the signs that it sends you.

In addition, parents should be present to help and guide the children. As they represent stability for children, it is they who can soften the consequences of change.

How does the change of school affect children?

As a mother, you will have experienced different types of changes in your life. For example, a change of job, friendship, residence, doctor, etc. So you are aware that changes can affect children and cause them pain.

Getting rid of everything that represented stability for the child is not easy. He can thus go through a range of feelings such as nostalgia, anger, frustration, anxiety, fear, pessimism, sadness, joy and stress.

We can find among the changes to face:

• Make new friendships and distance yourself a bit from past ones.
• Adapt to new teachers and certainly new working methods.
• Adapt to a new environment and a new climate.
• Being the center of attention because of being new to the class or school.

• Use different public transport and adapt to a new route.

Some children may be very resistant to change, while others will be supportive and flexible and sociable. The more drastic the change, the more the child can express his stubbornness.

However, it is impossible to accurately predict the impact that changing schools will have on the child. The intensity of the feelings depends on what the child has to give up and what he is going to have to face.

Therefore, it is easy to conclude that if the child makes new friends quickly, the change will be more bearable. You must take into account that it is possible that his academic results decline as well as his academic performance.

How to reduce the effects of a change of school on the child?

Here are some examples you can follow to help your child overcome this change:

Communication and sincerity

When you know you will need to change your child from school, it is best to tell him or her as soon as possible. Talk to him openly and give him the opportunity to express his concerns and insecurity. Remember that he can be reluctant and negative.

Do not lie to him by telling him that you will protect him from the effects of the change, because sooner or later he will realize that he will have to face them anyway.

Help them see change differently, but in a positive way

Starting a school year in a new school will give him the opportunity to make a fresh start, to make new friends. Try to make them benefit from the change rather than suffer from it.

Visit the school with him before the start of the school year

This will allow him not to feel lost when the lessons begin. Take a tour of the buildings that will be its new environment. Where possible, he should know where the new classrooms, library, canteen and sports area are located.

Getting ready for the first day of class

Prevention is your best option. The more informed your child is, the better it will be for both of you. Explain to him clearly what the starting and ending times are, what school supplies he will need, who his teachers will be and answer his questions.

Encourage him to do extracurricular activities

A quick way to integrate with his peers outside of the school schedule is to participate in extracurricular activities. Ask if he wants to join a team sports team that he likes such as football, basketball or volleyball. If she likes art, you can enroll her in a music, painting or theater class.

Finally, you need to be patient and give your child time to get used to the change. Thus, he will live new experiences that will contribute to his maturity.

If you respect their personal space and give them confidence in their new surroundings, you will help them strengthen their self-esteem and sense of security. Thus, the change of school will be positive.