Discuss and Talk
Discuss their fears and apprehensions of moving from one school to another. Talk to them about a similar experience if you have had while growing up, or use some close friend or relative’s examples.
Explain how they form new friends, they can write and keep in touch with old ones as well.
Get them excited about the new facilities that they get to enjoy in the new school.
Promise, and make sure to deliver, that they could meet their old friends (if you live in the same city) on weekends, and birthdays etc.
Be Inclusive
Pre-teen is an age where children start talking less to their parents. However, try to look above the superficial silence, to see if the kid is adjusting well to the school. Talk about the teachers, friends, and facilities, everything about the school, to your child, to make sure the child is blending in well with the new environment.
Meet the Teachers
You don’t have to be a paranoid parent. But for a few months, you can request time from the principal or teachers, just to get feedback on how the kid is doing.
You can observe if there are any behavioural changes in your child, compared to the earlier school. These things can clue you in, on how they feel, and help you plan and decide on how to deal with it.
Growing up, I have changed a lot of schools, and I know of many friends who have been in the same school all their school life, and we really both have turned out fine. So while there is no great science behind the deal, it is imperative that to make sure that the kids know that their parents are there, no matter what!
And if it becomes a really an issue that the kid is unable to cope with, you need to relook at your decision as well.
