Navigating School Transitions: Simple Practices for You and Your Child"
School is a huge adjustment for children and parents alike.
Whether your child is just starting, returning after a break, or moving into a new year. For some kids, it’s a happy reunion with friends and a familiar routine. But for others, school can feel overwhelming, unfulfilling, or even scary.
Some kids struggle with:
The pressure of school expectations
Separation from home
Sensory overload, social challenges, or boredom
Big emotions they don’t know how to process
Transitions—moving from one environment to another takes energy and regulation
This is especially true for children with more sensitive nervous systems, neurodivergent kids (ADHD, Autistic, SPD, etc.), or those dealing with life changes at home like a move, a new sibling, or family separation.
Even kids from loving and deeply connected homes can struggle with behavior challenges , meltdowns, or shutdowns when school feels tough.
Instead of jumping to “bad behavior” as the cause, try shifting to curiosity:
🎯 What might be going on for my child?
🎯 What might their behavior be telling me?
When you start from a place of curiosity, you are more likely to access compassion. And when you feel compassion, you can access more emotional regulation and from that place you can respond in ways that make things easier for both your child and uourself .
Start Your Day With a Check-In
Before the school morning chaos begins, take a moment to check in with yourself.
Ground yourself with Self compassionate touch: place your hand on your heart, breathe slowly and notice your feet.
Ask: "How am I feeling right now?"
If you feel anxious, tired, frustrated, or overwhelmed, acknowledge it. Feel into the touch of your hand on your heart, take a breath, and simply name it out loud: "I am feeling _______."
You don’t have to fix it—just noticing is powerful. If possible, spend a few seconds allowing the feeling to rise and move. Take a long, slow exhale. Notice your feet on the ground. Look outside and find a moment of presence before you step into the day.
Set a simple intention:
💛 I will move slowly.
💛 I will look into my child’s eyes and delight in them.
💛 I will offer as much presence as I can today.
Mornings Can Be Hard—Ground Yourself First
School mornings are often busy and chaotic. Sibling squabbles, lost shoes, last-minute lunchbox packing—it’s a lot.
If you can, allow yourself a few moments to get your energy settled first. When your nervous system is more regulated, it helps your child feel safer and calmer, too. If your child is struggling with big feelings, your presence is more powerful than any strategy.
And yes, some days will still go pear-shaped—especially if you or your child are highly sensitive. That’s okay. Offer yourself grace. We ALL have messy moments!
Noticing Your Child’s Emotional State
Kids don’t always have the words to say, "I feel anxious," or "I’m overwhelmed." Instead, they show us through their bodies and behavior.
Common signs of stress in kids:
Clinginess, resistance, or meltdowns at drop-off
Outbursts of anger, frustration, or defiance
Complaints about tummy aches, headaches, or fatigue
Increased sensitivity to sounds, textures, or touch
Emotional shutdown or seeming "zoned out"
Rather than seeing this as "bad behavior," try seeing it as a signal of an unmet need.
Ask yourself: How might this behavior make sense? What could my child be feeling or needing?
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The HAALTSSS Check
Sometimes, tricky behaviors come down to basic unmet needs. Try a quick HAALTSSS check-in:
🔹 Hungry
🔹 Angry
🔹 Anxious
🔹 Lonely
🔹 Tired
🔹 Stressed
🔹 Sensory needs unmet
Other possibilities include:
A backlog of unprocessed emotions
Hormonal changes
A need for connection and coregulation
Nervous system dysregulation needing safety
Highly sensitive/ Neurodivergent child needing more layers of support
Gut issues, illness, mineral deficiencies and other complexities
Practical Ways to Support Transitions
Build a “connection bridge” for separation – Let them know what you’ll do together after school: "I can’t wait to see you at 3pm and go to the park!"
Play before school – Even 5-10 minutes of play with you (chase, trampoline, laughter) before leaving can ease the transition.
Use positive language – Swap "Don’t be rude" for "Let’s choose a kind word please." Replace "Don’t forget your lunch" with "Remember your lunch!"
Create a steady rhythm – Kids thrive on predictability. Try: Get dressed → Breakfast → Jobs → Play/connection → Leave the house. Posters can help many kids!
Add movement to transitions – Race to the car, hop like a bunny to the door, or march with a silly song. I used to have an upbeat dancey “leave the house song” that I would play before we needed to head up the stairs to the car which signalled time to leave but also brought me a moment of joy! The power of music!!
When School Feels Hard
Not every child finds school easy or enjoyable. Some struggle with separation anxiety, friendship difficulties, tricky teachers, sensory overwhelm, or just feeling like they don’t fit in.
If school has been or becomes a challenge, remind yourself:
Your child is not broken.
You are not a bad parent.
It’s okay if this transition is bumpy.
You might have your own big feelings after a tough school drop-off—exhaustion, frustration, guilt, or sadness. That makes sense. Be gentle with yourself and seek support and safe people who can listen to your feelings.
It’s important to know that many children - those with more sensitive nervous systems, anxiety, neurodivergent brains or those that experience bullying - can find school overwhelming, overstimulating and unsafe. This can get very hard. Work with the school and professionals and learn to advocate for your child. This is a huge topic outside the scope of this article but more to come in future emails.
Coping Skills for Mums and Kids
We all need healthy ways to process stress. What helps you regulate? Try a few:
Walking or movement
Grounding outside (barefoot on grass, fresh air)
Long slow breathing like physiological sighs, somatic practices, tapping to release stress
Art, music, creative outlets
Journaling, venting with a trusted friend or listening partner
Crunchy snacks, hot drinks, cold drinks
Listening to podcasts or soothing sounds
Find 3-5 that work for you—and model them for your child, too.
There’s No One Right Way to "Do School"
School life isn’t about perfection—it’s about navigating the highs and lows with as much presence and care as possible. Some days will be smooth, some will be tough. What matters most is that you are your child’s safe space.
And if this season is feeling especially hard, you are not alone.
💛 I offer 1:1 support, parenting courses, and somatic emotional release to help you navigate these challenges with more ease and connection. 💛
Because parenting can feel really hard at times. And we all need support. 💛
SUPPORT OPTIONS
For parenting support I offer 1:1 sessions and group support:
Counselling and Listening Time
1:1 Parent Coaching and Courses
Somatic emotional release / Inner Child healing
Parent centric parenting course
Events, circles and workshops
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If you want to feel connected with likeminded mothers, less alone, learn tools for emotional regulation , holding space for each other and yourself, and have a supportive space to share truthfully, MotherGrow may be for you.
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