There are so many important transitions that happen during your child’s schooling years. Whether they’re heading to school for the very first time, moving to a different class, or starting somewhere brand new, some kids are more anxious than others. How can you address these feelings and help ease their nerves? What can you do to get them ready to adapt to a strange new environment, and make new friends?

Firstly, it’s important that your child can speak honestly about these feelings. Learning to communicate and articulate is essential for their mental and emotional well-being as they get older. Also, it’s important for them to understand that they’re not alone – many people feel anxious, for all sorts of reasons. It’s quite normal, however it’s also important to put some strategies in place to manage the anxiety.

One way is to really prepare them for what they’ll experience in those first few days in a new environment. Other techniques to prepare your child for these challenges include mindfulness and breathing exercises.

One thing is certain – open communication is essential, and there’s no better way to broach complicated subjects with young kids than to introduce those subjects through entertaining and informative books. 

This list of books is a great place to start teaching them how to overcome any anxiety or worries. In fact, these books are so great, they’ll help you too.