New School for Eight Year Old Daughter

Hi C.,

I agree with the other poster who says that kids are resilient. Try to find out about other friends of hers who are also being redistricted. Perhaps if you chat about it with your new principal, he or she can put a few of the friends together in your daughter's class.

Just remember that the days of going from grades 1-12 with all the same kids are really unusual now. Many kids parents' move from place to place, so "the new kid" isn't such an anomaly anymore. If you project your worries on her, it will be even harder for her. So try to relax, and encourage her to invite new friends over to help her get used to her new school. The new teacher could also set her up with a "buddy" to help her learn the new rules and how the school works, since her last school was different.

Good luck, and I hope that you are feeling better soon as well from the accident. All my best to you, C..
D.

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Hi, C.! I have an 8-year-old daughter, too, and my best advise is to listen. Don't ask her any leading questions (ex: "Are you afraid of being in a new school?" "Do you think the kids will be nice to you?") But just ask if she has any concerns about school that she would like to talk about. Then talk through each one of her concerns with her. Enlist the help of her teachers and other school personnel to watch for interactions between your daughter and other classmates. One thing I've learned is that teachers have always "been there, done that", and often have terrific suggestions to help your daughter along. Teachers will sometimes pair up a new child with someone who knows their way around, so the more familiar child can show yours the ropes. Along with listening, encourage her to try new things at home, and praise her efforts. Believe me, it carries over when she goes to school because you are building her self-esteem at home and her confidence is still there when she is away from you at school.

I'm a single-mother of an only child, and even though my girl has been at her school since kindergarten, she sometimes feels unsure of herself with other kids. But I've notice that helping her feel good about herself when she makes good decisions has helped her come out of her shell at school =)

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Since your area got redistricted, your daughter will not be the only one starting in a new school which will help with your daughter's transition. Visiting the school, playing on the playground and talking about the transistion will only help your child feel more comfortable in her new surroundings. The start of a new school year always brings with it excitment and anticipation,and I have found the keys to my children's comfort was my encouragment and support.

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Just tell her to respect her elders and pay attention. She'll be fine. I attended 10 schools before graduating from high school. It was never a big deal switching to a new one. They're pretty much all the same. Besides, she'd get a new teacher every year anyway, right? You can help her most by reassuring her that everything will be fine and that she'll have lots of fun and learn a lot and make new, interesting friends in her new school.

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kids are more resilient than we give them credit for. Have you asked her how whe feels about the transition? Find out what her concerns are and open lines of communication while doing a fun art project or something. You may be suprised, she might not be worried at all. Do you have concerns beyond the fact that she is going to a new school? Sometimes without intention I would put concerns on my daughter that I thought she might have... she was always less stressed than I.

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