All school transitions are hard. Who will be the teacher? We just got to know last year’s teacher, and we really, really like her and you are very sure that you won’t like the new one…wait, who are we talking about here?

School transitions are hard on you and your child. From realizing your baby is growing up to letting go of last year’s routine, starting school can be traumatic for us all! No matter what age your child is, we can help you transition with an easel…or with ease, whichever way you see it…

Get the lay of the land! Touring isn’t just for vacation, tour the school before the first day and make sure that you see:

o your child’s new classroom;

o the playground;

o the cafeteria (even if your child won’t be eating in it – you are laying the groundwork for first grade!);

o all of the bathrooms (very very important, you may want to use it with your child just to check things out!);

o the school office (introduce yourself and your child to the school secretary if you can!);

o the library;

o the computer lab;

o the gym – it will look really big to your child!; and

o where your child will be dropped off and picked up from school.

Take your camera along so that when your child gets nervous or excited about school, you have a picture to look at!

Logistics. Planning your child’s day and how he will get everywhere he needs to go can be a nightmare for you and your child. Take the pressure off by having a “dry run” that includes:

o Walking. If you are so lucky that you like where your kindergartner can walk to school, then you must live across the street from the school. Traffic at 3:00 must be horrible…make sure your child knows the shortest route to school, where to cross the street and where to run for help if he needs it along the way. Walk and talk through it with your child as much as possible before letting her loose!

o Boarding the Bus. Is your child riding the bus to school? Are you more scared than your child? Ease both of your fears by enlisting the help of another driver and taking a stab at this with your child. Walk to the bus stop, stand with your child while your better half picks you both up at the stop. Mimick the bus by “stopping” here and there and talking about not getting off the bus until you are at school. When you get to school, get out, reverse the process and go back home via the bus stop!

Older children must deal with the social microcosm that the bus becomes. Help your child deal with bus anxiety to getting your child to talk about it (I know it’s hard), telling your own war-stories from your bus riding days, helping your child come up with a strategy for keeping out of the line of fire (reading, i-pod, etc)..

o Carpool Chaos. Need your child to understand what car to get into on which day? This is a hard one.

o Try to carpool with people that your child knows.

o Make sure your child meets the carpool in the same area after school.

o Talk to your child about who is picking her up and whose parent that is. Make a guessing game out of it! Mrs. Jones is whose mom? What day will she be picking you up from school?

o You also want to connect the person with the car. What is Julie’s mom’s name? What color is her car?

o Give your child’s teacher a copy of the carpool schedule so that she can help!

o Afterschool care. Is your child going to a babysitter? Daycare? A community after school program? How does he get there and who picks him up? If your child is going somewhere between school and home, you have twice the job to do. You have to make sure that your child knows how to get from school to her next destination and then home.

Rules. Children of all ages have problems with rules. How can you help your preschoolers and kindergarteners? By making some rules of your own…

o Rules at home. Simple rules at home can make your child a lot happier with the rules at school. If you already have a rule that you don’t interrupt people who are talking, then it is easier for a 5 year old to understand why you should raise your hand when you want to speak at school. Here are some more rules you can have at home that will help at school:

o Take turns.

o Recycle.

o Push your chair in.

o Share.

o Put away the things you get out.

o Use inside voices when you are inside.

o Don’t throw things.

o Only cross busy streets with an adult.

o Don’t talk to strangers.

o If you break a rule there are consequences.

o It’s a game. Play school rules at home. Raise your hand if you want to talk. Do you need a drink of water? You must ask the “teacher” first. Take turns being the teacher so that your child can be on the other side of the coin!

o Rules rule! Why are rules good? Brainstorm a list of reasons to like rules with your child and write them down (even if your child can’t read it yet). Ask your child to draw a picture about why rules are good. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

o Rules keep us safe.

o Rules help us behave and be good neighbors.

o No one wants to play with someone that gets in trouble all of the time.

o Rules (like use an inside voice) help others learn.

Middle and High School Society. While the younger kids are worried about when recess is, your newly minted middle schooler will be worrying about where to stand and how to look cool during recess. You remember how it is. The best way to help with this transition is to stay out of it.

Middle school to high school society is all over the place. Cliques and hormones emerge and the waters can be tough to navigate. Teachers of this age group go through it all day everyday and the best we can tell you is:

o You are not your child’s friend and you are borrowing trouble if you try to be ‘one of the gang’.

o They seem older than they are so don’t treat them like adults.

o Curfews are good.

o Chores are good.

o Homework is important.