The transition from Primary School to Secondary School for some children can be a nerve-wracking time over the Summer break. Some will of course take it in their stride and be excited by the fact that they will be moving schools, making new friends, learning new subjects, but for others this move can create a huge amount of anxiety.
It is quite common to see these pressures building – and parents often tell me that sudden fears and upsets begin to present themselves over the Summer break, maybe a sudden fear of the dark, or not wanting to interact with friends, being uncommonly moody or lashing out.
Of course six odd week to stew on the unknown territories of starting a new school and all it brings is a great amount of time for ones brain to create a whole world of negative scenarios and to build these negative visions in great detail – to the point that the brain already thinks that they have happened, and wow now we have one very anxious person.
So what can be done? Well first of all we as parents need to be aware and mindful to ensure we notice the signs, and then of course we can help with the language that we choose when dealing with these anxieties, i.e. not saying one is silly to feel these worries, but maybe remind them of a time when they have over come a fear, and how well they did – maybe they went on a zip wire, or climbed a climbing wall etc., etc.… Reminding one to an unconnected situation where the same skill sets were used can be effective food for thought.
I work with many children in this predicament and help them to regain control of the mind so that they can regain or create that all-important confidence and self worth that we all need when embarking on a new venture. So if I can be of any help – contact me through the usual channels on the website, and let this summer be, not one full of worries, but a good one.