As parents gear up to send their children back to school after the summer holidays, it can be a testing time for everyone involved. As well as kids getting nervous about returning to the classroom after six weeks off, mums and dads also have to adapt to new routines and the emotions that come with it. New research from Amazon’s Chatterbox series has revealed that seven in ten (69%) parents think their children have it easier at school now than they did when they were pupils, with 59% of parents saying that the availability of smartphones and tablets is one of the reasons for this assumption.
But parenting expert Kirsty Ketley doesn’t think this is necessarily true and says kids of today face different pressures than what their parents did. She said, “People think smartphones are making life easier for today’s children, but I actually think it’s the opposite. Of course, in some ways there is an advantage as they have all this knowledge at their fingertips, but I think they bring a pressure we didn’t have growing up, because they can never switch off. Unfortunately bullying still happens a lot in schools, and some kids can never escape it as they can be accessed beyond school hours via social media and messaging apps.”
So as the new term starts, here are Kirsty’s top tips for making the transition go as smoothly as possible.
1 – Show understanding - if your child is making a big transition, like primary to secondary school, or starting their GCSEs, my advice would be to have a lot of understanding and empathy towards them, because it is a big change. It's almost like them starting school again, but this time with a feeling of expectation on their shoulders.
2 – Speak to the school - your kids will be going through a lot and if you feel out of the loop, reach out to the school so you can work out what problems your child might be facing. Of course you don’t want to be bombarding the school with emails, but if there is something you’re worried about then don’t feel afraid to get in touch, as that’s what they’re there for.
3 – Communicate with your child - as we approach the new term, go through things with your child to get them prepared, such as checking if they know their walking route to school. If your child is going into a new class or school they might be worried about new friendships, so chat this through with them, and suggest icebreakers to try.
4 – Remember it’s not your experience - being a parent is like going through school all over again. You'll remember your own time at school, and might have some useful tips from this time, but it's really important to remember that how you experienced something isn't necessarily how your child is going to experience it. Listen without projecting in order to best support them.
Amazon’s Chatterbox series is a unique poll of its 75,000 UK employees.