Welcome and Welcome Back!
Greetings all! Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! Whether you have been a part of Woodinville Family Preschool for years or are just about to start for the first time, those back to school emotions are strong! Whether you are getting ready to make some parent/caregiver friends for the first time with your infant or are praising the heavens above because it is time for your kiddo to be in 3 Day and once or twice a week you get to drop them off and get a few hours to run errands on your own (Pro tip: FALL DÉCOR at TJ Maxx and HomeGoods has arrived…I repeat…the pumpkin spice lattes are here!)… this is a busy time of year! Transitions aren’t always easy, especially for our littles, but here are some tips and tricks from a Licensed Family Therapist to get us through. You aren’t alone! WFP is here! Some children thrive on routine, and others not as much but overall, change can be hard for everyone! Here is how to survive the transition into fall…
Tip # 1. Change isn’t always uncomfortable.
Remember there is no growth without change and we often use the words “unfamiliar” and “uncomfortable” interchangeably. It is important to note that these words are not one of the same and something new or unfamiliar doesn’t have to be uncomfortable. Have you ever taken a vacation somewhere and felt MORE relaxed and comfortable than you do at home? That is the perfect example of how something can be unfamiliar but not uncomfortable. This is especially awesome because things are only unfamiliar until you do them a few times… so that feeling is totally fixable! Also, sometimes things are both unfamiliar AND uncomfortable… it is okay to be uncomfortable sometimes! These are opportunities for children (and us) to learn and grow!
Tip #2. Processing is your best friend.
Research shows that talking to your child greatly boosts brain activity and leads to greater verbal comprehension and skill development, as well as emotional processing capacity. Basically, the more you talk to your kid, the better it is for them, especially around change and transition. Talking about the upcoming school year, your plans, what will happen, how they might feel, what they can do with those feelings, things you are looking forward to doing with them at preschool, etc… it helps set the brain’s capacity to accept and process change by already starting to form an understanding and comprehension of what is to come! Think of the brain like a maze. Going into something new can be like asking your child to make their way through a maze for the first time (anyone ever gotten lost in a corn maze before, panicked, and just starting fighting their way straight through the corn to get out? No? Just me… okay well I digress). However, by talking about the maze, it is like getting a map you can follow once you get there!
Tip #3. Relax and embrace this year!
A stressed out adult is a stressed out kid. Be silly, have fun, get messy and embrace it (Shout out to Teacher Susan on her high mess tolerance)! There are no perfect kids and no perfect caretakers, and that is okay! It is more than okay, it is a relief. You don’t have to be perfect and neither does your child. They are going to melt down, and you probably will too at some point this year but the more you resist, the more you struggle. The waves of change are coming… you can either fight it and get a mouthful of sea water, or grab a boogie board and ride them. Might as well enjoy the ride! Reach out for help when you need it or open up to another parent or staff. Be unapologetically you through this transition, because anything else will just make it harder.
For more tips on helping kids cope with transitions, check out one of these links:
- https://themompsychologist.com/2022/06/20/8-tips-to-help-your-child-cope-with-change-stress-or-transitions/
- https://www.baby-chick.com/strategies-to-help-your-kids-cope-with-change/
- https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/coping-with-change/
Have a question you wish you could ask a family therapist or an idea on certain topics that would be helpful for future blog posts? Now is your chance! Email blog@woodinvillefamilypreschool.org with your questions or ideas to see topics (anonymously) featured here in future posts.
See you soon, Woodinville Family Preschool Families!
Please note this blog is for fun and educational purposes, and is not medical advice, a therapy relationship or service and is not to be used in place of seeking mental health services or to be a sole method of therapeutic support. If you are in need or interested in taking part in direct therapeutic services, please visit https://www.psychologytoday.com/us to “Find a Therapist” in your area.