Secondary school transition

[KookyRoseExpert]

Anyone else’s child struggling with the transition to secondary? Looking for some morale support or positive stories from previous years. Started over a week ago and she’s gone from being a happy easy going child to meltdowns most evenings. Friendships seem to be the biggest issue. It’s hard to watch, please tell me it gets easier. Everyone we know seems to be settling well and loving it.

Oh no I’m dreading this. DD starts secondary school in a week…

It gets easier. It’s an enormous change for children - equivalent to a divorce or house removal.

My daughter started this week and seems to be settling in reasonably well, despite most of her old friends being in other forms. But, despite this, she is still very teary and emotional in the evenings. I think it's just exhausting and such a big change for them. Friends with older kids assure me that the first term is the hardest and things do settle down.

Thanks everyone, reassuring to hear they are all a bit emotional. Hopefully we will see a slight improvement this week

It took until Xmas for my sensitive little lad to settle into secondary school. It’s a lot to handle. But they will all make new friends but it takes a while for that to all shake out.

He’s now a year 8 and loving it. Hang in there!

Just for anyone else struggling with this. This is her third week now and I think we’ve made some progress. I’m sure we’ll still have bumps but seems a good bit better.

That’s good! My DD had her second day yesterday and loves it, despite all the walking round the school! (It’s huuuuge). I think she likes the more ‘grown up’ aspect of it. Fingers crossed your DD continues to improve

Glad to hear things seem to be settling. It's not easy going to a larger school, lots more homework, and finding your feet. On top of which Years 7 and 8 seems to be a time for friendship issues, suddenly they're all growing up but not quite there yet.

If there are any ongoing friendship issues, not easy to keep out of it yourself and worry, but there are plenty more fish in the sea. DD left her whole friendship group of years as one girl became very controlling and no one would stick up to her, except DD. Best thing she ever did, she made new friends very soon and ten years later they're still friends, despite going to uni, some living abroad coming back, living in different cities.