Four Tips For Parents To Help Kids Start a New School

​Moving is challenging for sure! There are so many things to do: packing and unpacking, hooking up utilities, changing your address on all your IDs, insurances, and bills, plus registering the kids for school, picking a new church, finding new clubs, figuring out where the grocery store is. Remember it's stressful for your kids too. While there may be much to be excited about, kids may be more worried than excited about starting over at a new school. Actively listen to your kids' concerns when and if they talk. Rocketoons can help you start a conversation when you and your child laugh and share your ideas about how Andy, Gina, and Parry handle moving to a new school.

Helping Your Kid Prove To Herself That She Can Handle It

Fear of the unknown causes much of the worry when a child has to change schools. Children often do not realize how much success they have already had overcoming first-time situations. Help your child remember the firsts he has already conquered, like riding a bike for the first time or his first sleepover. Build the child's confidence to handle this new challenge.

Find Some Friendly Faces

Meet kids in the neighborhood before starting school. Parents can soften the edges of meeting new friends by inviting neighbors with school-aged children to a "New in Town" party. The neighborhood kids will be become familiar faces on the bus, on the playground, at lunch, even in class. It's terrifying to handle a new school alone. Just one friendly face in the crowd can alleviate much of the fear and stress

Stay Busy With Activities You Love

It's helpful to keep up with the child's interests in the new town. Participating in things will provide opportunities to meet friends with shared interests. Look for teams, clubs, and event centered around a child's interests. For example, if your child enjoys fishing, attend a local fishing derby, or take some boating classes. If your child used to take karate lessons, sign up for karate in your new town. Continuing to be active and social will help take your child's mind off of his fears about being new in town, and make it easier to make new friends.

Visit The New School

Think about how you feel when you don't know where anything is. Take every opportunity to tour the school, meet the teacher, practice the locker combination, and learn the schedule before your child has to start classes. Having some confidence about where to be and where to go can help alleviate anxiety for new students.

Above all, it's important to listen to your child's thoughts about being the new kid in class. At first, it may be hard for your child to talk about his fears. Younger children may not have the words to start a conversation about the worries they have. Rocketoons Episode 2: Moving to a New School can open the doors and get the Cartoonversation started. If you need help, remember to download the Cartoonversation Card for starter questions and additional resources.