Whilst moving on to High School can be a very exciting time for many children, it can also be daunting. This is a time when parents should make time to support their children in all areas of their life: Academically, socially and physiologically. It can be a challenging time for families and it is important for parents to remember that transition to High School also comes at a time in your child's life when they are facing puberty and all the changes that come with that. Year 7 is often a time when children need their parents support, even more than in year 6. This is not the time to step back, this is the time to step up. However, your role is changing from one of 'manager' of your child's life to 'consultant'. You will need to navigate when is the right time to talk to your child to be heard and learn to step away if things get more heated. This is a time when your child might need more hugs and parental encouragement than ever before.
Reflection exercise for Parents: It is useful to put yourself in your child's shoes, it can help build empathy and understanding for this stage of development: Think back to your early teens, what did it feel like, what were you like with your parents? Discuss this with your husband/partner/ friend.
Luckily, there is a huge range of information available to support parents through this stage on any given subject. Here are just a few 'hot topics'. The links will take you to good sources of information:
What to expect in year 7 - The Department of Education has a good page for parents to help you understand how high school works: Timetables, homework, subjects, teachers, peer pressure etc - click here
Getting Ready for High School - Downloadable .pdf from Dept. of Education - click here
Sleep - Helping Teenagers get the Sleep they need - The Raising Children Network has great parenting pages, for advice about sleep - click here
Online Safety - Do you want to understand Apps such as TikTok, SnapChat, Fortnight etc. The eSafety Commission webpage gives advice about safety settings etc. - click here
Cyberbullying - Taken from the eSafety Commission webpage - parent advice here
Academic Support - The Department of Education has lots of Parent Tips for 'Upper Primary and Secondary' Learning" - click here
Social and Emotional - encourage your children to talk about their feelings and their friends regularly. You should also show them 'safe' places they can go to for advice such as Kidshelpline for Teens. Click here. Encourage them to have the kidshelpline number in their phone's: 1800 55 1800. Let them know it is ok to speak to the school counsellor if they want to.
More help for Parents: Parent Help Line - 1300 1300 52 - Parent Line NSW - webpage here
If you want to talk about transitioning your child to high school, or have any specific questions or concerns about this stage of development, we are here to support you. Contact: [email protected]