Helping children start the school year emotionally ready, confident and calm

PREPARING children for the new school year should be more than just organising uniforms, stationery, and neatly-labelled lunchboxes.

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After a long holiday, children experience a significant emotional shift, and many parents underestimate the overwhelming nature of this transition for them.

School readiness is not only practical. It involves helping children feel safe, grounded, and confident as they step into a new academic year.

Children often experience a mix of excitement and anxiety about returning to school. Some worry about separating from their parents again after weeks of closeness during the holidays. This can manifest as clinginess, stomach aches, irritability or tears on the first day. It makes a huge difference when parents acknowledge these feelings rather than dismissing them.

Letting your child know that it is completely normal to feel nervous or unsure gives them emotional permission to feel without shame. My stance remains the same: validate the feelings, but don’t condone avoidant behaviour. Your child should know that all their fears and emotions are welcome, and that together you can discuss strategies to manage them. However, school is still nonnegotiable.