Change can be daunting for some children

 Some children embrace THE NEW readily and easily. They love to travel, visit new places, meet new people and try new things. They are happy and comfortable in new surroundings and at ease with people they have never met before.

In fact, some children actually relish change because it makes them feel motivated, alive and fresh. Consequently, they invite lots of opportunities for change and new experiences into their lives.

However, there are children who take longer to adapt to change. These children need time to absorb their surroundings and time to adjust and feel comfortable with the change that has just taken place. For these children, how they cope with change is very often dependent upon the amount of time the child is given to adapt and how the adults around the child respond to him or her in the new surroundings.

So, how does your child react when something changes in his or her life or daily routine? Starting school or changing school is a major event in any child's life. And it can be perceived as being that much more difficult if the child has had a difficult or unhappy experience at a previous school.

What is Important?

 The key to making any change as smooth or as easy as possible is to understand what is coming up in your child's mind in terms of his or her feelings and emotions about the impending change. The mistake most of us, adults, make is to assume or think that we know, what the reasons are and therefore we soothe, comfort and reassure our child on the basis of our rationale not theirs. First and foremost, you need to explore what it is that your child feels about the impending change.

Common Reactions to Change

 Count yourself extremely lucky if your child accepts change smoothly every single time. You probably have a kid in a million and most parents would readily prefer to be in your shoes when change occurs in their household!

Most children react in some way to change and there is usually something which needs to be dealt with, discussed or actioned.

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