By Aude Mahoudeau-Campoyer
New faces, lots of tears, laughs, and anxious parents? That’s right! School has started! It’s time for the first reality check and unfortunately it’s not always what we’d hoped for. It can be a confusing experience for a child.
Be patient, listen and stay calm, this will reassure your child and help him adapt to his new life.
My child tells me he doesn’t like school
DON’T DRAMATIZE and listen to him! We usually tend to speak for our kids! Let’s not look devastated and tell him the teacher must be amazing and that school is somewhere he’s sure to have fun. Let him express himself and come up with ideas together about what can be done to make it better. This will make him feel more secure in expressing his concerns and in finding solutions. Also, it’s important he understands that it’s in his own interest to go to school: knowledge acquisition and learning to grow up.
My child isn’t making friends
It will take new or shy children more time to make friends. Generally, no kid feels lonely more than a month and they all end up making friends eventually. By being a good listener and by inviting your child’s new friends home, it could help create bonding that will extend to the school playground!
My child is tired after school
That’s normal! The beginning of the school year is stressful for the whole family: getting back into routines, medical appointments, subscribing to extra-curricular activities, the schedule overload… And your child spends long days doing group activities, he needs time to adapt to this new pace. That is why it’s essential to keep an “awake-sleep-playtime” routine at home .
Quick tip: Spend family time playing board games; it encourages daily communication and sharing in a fun way. In addition, a child will be more inclined to do his homework knowing there will be a fun game afterwards.
Never forget that all children have their own pace and individual needs which you must respect if you want them to build their confidence. Keep listening to what and how children go through what they go through in their daily lives, and never forget that love, sharing and time are most often the winning trio for them to progress and adjust smoothly.
Aude Mahoudeau - Campoyer Sophrologist & Hypnotherapist
Web: www.sophrologyhk.com
Facebook: Sophrology HK and Hypnotherapy by Aude Mahoudeau
