Is it possible for this transition period not to turn into a nightmare for both children and families when school starts after a long holiday break?
If your child is starting a new school or because the summer period, when the rules are stretched, is over, it may be difficult for the child. It is important to prepare parents for this process first. Starting school means leaving home, parents or caregivers. How the parents perceive and manage this separation process, the child will copy this situation and emotions. If even one of the parents is worried about the school starting process, the child may notice this and be worried or use this situation if he does not want to leave the house. It should be normalized to go to school, to spend time there, to do what is necessary on his own. It will be facilitating to tell the child where to go, what awaits them, what the process will be like and when they will return home before they start school. If he went to kindergarten, the concept of school was formed; however, mental preparation is important as it will be a different process in primary school. The clearer the school start and end times, and the routines before and after school, the safer the child will feel. If children who have just started primary school have kindergarten experience, this will be an advantage; explanations and visuals, books, etc. about what awaits the child.
The process of adaptation to school can be challenging for other students other than beginners. Every child is special, adaptation processes may also differ. The school period, where rules and responsibilities begin, may be a period when children react with feelings such as reluctance, sadness, and anger after the holiday period when they are comfortable. Knowing that as teachers and parents at school may be natural to have difficulties in this transitional period, it will be helpful to try to read the meaning behind the child's reactions. It is important to express to the child that you are trying to understand him before situations such as not wanting to go to school, anger-crying fits, refusing to wake up, getting dressed and getting ready-delayed turn into conflict. Having discipline after the holiday does not change the sleep pattern at the desired hours. Communicating that you realize that people are pushing him can accelerate the child's adaptation to the situation, as it will make him feel understood.
As a parent, you can give examples of your own adaptation processes. It will be a guide for the child to share how returning to work and responsibilities after the holiday or weekend affects you and how you cope. Constant exhortations, comparisons with others implying that he is exaggerating can close the child in communication. Coping with the situation that he feels is not understood may be more challenging for the child and negative reactions may increase.
If you want your child to learn emotion management; you should start with your own feelings first!
Children should be made aware of and encouraged to express their emotions. The extent to which emotions are included in the family creates an important model. The child should be asked what he feels, should be guided to recognize his feelings, should be encouraged to express. Just as parents experience and reflect their own emotions, children will copy this path. Providing awareness of emotions will enable the child to soothe himself and cope better with challenging situations. Starting school and getting used to the new order can be distressing. Instead of wasting energy by reacting to this distressing situation, children should be directed to facilitating factors to adapt. Especially in adolescence, the need to experience emotions intensely and to be understood from conflict is quite high. Although the emotional outbursts, magnification of problems, and increased reactivity in adolescence are challenging for families and teachers, staying focused on patiently understanding and listening is the savior solution.
You can mirror the anger and sadness you see in adolescents by putting them into words; Thus, there will be no need to increase the intensity of the emotion in order to be seen.
It is very important to be in contact with the school administration and teachers. In some cases, children may react differently at home and at school. If a child knows about his parents' anxiety about school, he can use it to show exaggerated negative reactions. big before going to school may create chaos and have a pleasant and harmonious time at school. In such a case, the main reason and purpose behind it can be determined and a change in the family's attitude may help. Seeing the existence of multiple elements, positive and negative, likes and dislikes, in the whole will facilitate acceptance. The expectation of a place, a period in which he will be perfectly and constantly happy, is unrealistic. When the child sees the possibility of both situations as normal, his approach to situations that he perceives as a problem will differ. .
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