THE transition from primary school to secondary school is a big leap in our children’s development.

It also brings about a lot of changes for us as parents too.

Less contact with other parents is one of the differences you might notice when this transition takes place.

A completely new uniform, rucksack and some maths equipment that probably won’t make its way out of the fancy tin it came in are par for the course for new Year 7s

As with all changes in family life this high-risk time can be an easy transition for some, while other children tend to take longer to adapt to these changes.

Common worries that children have are:

- getting lost in their new school

- being separated from their primary school friends

- increased workload, especially homework

- travelling to school on their own, on their bike or public transport

- the increased number of other pupils

- new teachers and routines.

Your role here is to help your child to prepare for these new challenges, as well as providing support throughout the school year. Something that worries your child might seem small to you but insurmountable to them.

If you work, try to negotiate time off so you can take them to school and be home (at least for their first day) when they finish. Make time to listen to how their day has gone, and help them to problem-solve if things haven’t gone as smoothly as they would have liked. Before you know it they will be leaving to go onto work or uni!

See: www.parentandbabycoach.co.uk

NEXT WEEK: Spending quality time with your family