We are planning to move but not sure if my 3 yo and 5 yo will have started the school year at that time. They will be in 1st year of preschool and kindergarten. Do you think it will be traumatic for them to change schools after starting the year? Of course we'd love to move before that, but im not sure if it will happen that way. Has your toddler changed schools? Were they OK with it, adjusted OK??
DS changed from his initial preschool to a Montessori at 4-1/2 years. He adapted pretty quickly and had a new best friend within the week. Many of his old friends from the first preschool were leaving to start Kindergarten anyway (he has a late birthday) so I think there would have been a transition anyway.
My daughter is changing schools, she was in pk-4 at one school and will be in kindergarten this fall at another school. My daughter was a little scared but we have gone to the new school, saw the room twice, met the teacher 3 times already and she is getting use to a new place. That is part of life, they are young and should adjust in a few weeks if not sooner.
Kids at that age have short memory, my daughter swtiched at age of 1 and then at 3. She was fine within two days..both the times.
Get them used to new place new teachers. Talk great about new place and they will start to like it.
We are changing again next month at 5.!! She is super excited on new place- going to BIG kid school, they are so ready to grow up.
Look at what excites your kids and use that as a cue.
V.
My girls went to a private preK, then when we moved, one went into kindergarten and one went into the public preK program. They were a little sad, but I explained that when you move schools, you not only have your friends from the old school, but you get to make brand new one's as well!! They adjusted just fine :)
With my 2nd, we moved her from the park district pre-school into the public pre-school program and had no big problems. She did have an adjustment period (very shy) with the new school, but they were better equipped to deal with the developmental delays she had. She really thrived in her second year in the program.
I think as long as you stay excited/happy about the change, your kids will too.
My daughter has changed school/daycare twice so far. The first time she was still really little (1.5) and it was very smooth.
The second time she was 3 and it was during the school year (not after a break) because we moved. All of us LOVED her old preschool and it was very h*** o* her. She definitely took about 3 months before she felt at home at her new school and we had quite some behavioral issues at home during the transition. Now she loves it there as well.
I think if you can, try to move during the break. Sometimes that is not possible and the kids will deal with it, they are resilient... but ideally I would try to do it during a "natural" break.
Good luck.
As a teacher, it is hard for the child to move during the school year but by the end of the first day they usually have made new friends and are starting to settle in just fine. Also depends on their personality. A more outgoing child usually transitions very well.
My DD changed daycares when she was little & was fine.
I was in 3 different 1st grades, and while it wasn't ideal, I adapted. My mom also decided to move us in the middle of my 8th grade year, and I had to graduate with kids I hardly knew. It did suck, I will admit. I was not happy with her.
So, while kids will adapt & eventually be comfortable, I am not a fan of moving a child out of their school unless it's absolutely unavoidable.
