Summer Transitions
I’m wrapping up with some of my academic coaching clients for the school year and my kids are more than halfway into the alphabet countdown towards the last day of school as I’m sitting down to write this… and I’ve noticed that wistful, bittersweet feeling in the air.
Let’s talk about it…
Preparing for the Transition
As a teacher and as a parent, I have noticed a few things about the end of the school year and emotionally what this means for children.
As a special education teacher, I noticed that my students would sometimes have tricky behaviors, or would seem uneasy… and I realized how the transition out of the school year into summer was more complicated that it seemed.
As a parent, I’ve seen that our daughter, Grace (10), has had a hard time transitioning out of every grade. We are so lucky that she has loved all of her teachers so much that she is sad to progress on, but I have also processed through some of her thoughts and worries with her over the years and there can be feelings of nervousness, uncertainty, sadness, amidst the “excitement” of summer coming.
Considering the Impact
I think that it’s worth it for parents and caregivers taking a moment to consider how the end of the school year may impact their child and the breadth of feelings experienced. Even for children who are staying in the same school building, the end of the school year means that they are closing another chapter and there is a lot of uncertainty.
Who will my teacher be next year?
Will I be with any of my friends?
What if next year is not like this year?
Will next year be a “good” year?
This year is my first/last…
Next year is my first/last…
Meanwhile, all the adults around them are hyping up, the transition to the next grade and celebrating the end and asking if they are excited for summer.
Of course, most kids are totally pumped for summer break, I just don’t want to discount it when there happen to be other feelings too… Or even sometimes unexpected outbursts or expressions of emotion that are related to this transition that our kids are going through.
Ethan’s Thoughts on the Summer Transiton
I asked Ethan what he thought and he shared a few thoughts and pieces of advice.
One of the common emotions that kids are feeling at the end of the year is anxiety. The uncertainty that comes with the end of school, the summer, next school year and beyond can feel overwhelming. Do not be surprised or alarmed if your child is exhibiting strong emotions and behaviors like outbursts or tantrums. One of the ways to minimize your child’s anxiety is to communicate the structure and flow of the summer; discuss it with them, get their input as is appropriate and keep the conversation going. Also know that if you have teenagers and anyone college-bound this summer, kids this age may engage in “separation behaviors” (often negative) to make this separation from home and family easier.
Maintain some sense of structure. It can be tempting to let go of your normal routines for the summer, but all kids need some structure to their day. Structure doesn’t mean taking away the fun; it means that we are infusing fun activities into our routine – like water play, day trips, outdoor time, summer evening activities that might extend bedtime, This is also a time to make room for more unstructured play and to let your child dictate how they want to spend their time or your time together.
Overall, don’t assume how your child is feeling about the end of the year. Ask them open-ended questions to engage in a conversation and allow them space to share their thoughts and feelings. Realistically, there are mixed emotions and we want to be in allowance of the range of feelings that are going on.
So let’s be a little more aware of the dynamics and the uncertainty and lack of big pictures that our kids have about their school experiences and how the challenges of transitioning out of one grade and into another… Or perhaps out of one school and into another might impact them on an emotional level in the coming weeks.
Summer Reading Intensives
Three live online workshops to help grow your child’s literacy skills and strategies
June 24-28: Reading Comprehension Success
July 8-12: Spelling Hacks for Kids
July 22-26: Vocabulary Strategies for the Upper Grades