The Session: The Session: Helping Children Adjust to the Stress of a New Teacher or School.

Joshua 1:9 (NIV) "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God."

Take Time to Talk to Them

As you help them prepare for a season of change, take time to talk with them about how messy change can be. This most certainly includes grieving the loss of past relationships. Often called peer priority, children struggle because their peers are a priority and they are losing them.

Be Prepared

Plan ahead some fun things they can invite others to do or talk about in order to make friends. But as they arrive at school, they may find that everyone else already seems to know each other. They might find they feel shy in the moment. Or maybe, they try to be friendly but the kids around them are shy.

Tom’s Important Suggestions:

• Take your child to school and have them tour it if that’s possible. Or tour it as soon as it is possible.
• Find out if there are summer activities or extracurricular, activities like soccer, swimming, a local church, where your child can make friends before they enter the classroom
• Pray with your child and help your children feel comforted about the change

Scott’s thought:

· Celebrate every success in the transition!

Monitor Your Child’s Feeling Level

Major changes like a new school can leave our children, fearful, disappointed, sad, and concerned.

Coping with the new school can also cause them to be wiped out physically.

Normalize for Them This Experience

Point them to Christ. As you do so will require more patience than usual. Being willing to hear them and extend grace will reassure them you’re present, God is present, and they are loved even if they’re struggling to feel it.

Normalizing it also includes telling your children when you may have struggled with a new situation when you were a child

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To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at tom.hccm@gmail.com, or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com