Why School Transitions Can Cause Turbulence?

End-of-year exams, parties, awards ceremonies, proms, and graduations galore. This is an exciting, but daunting time of year for our young people!

Parents -- this is also a critical time for you to actively manage your energy! 💫

For example, if your child is leaving a beloved middle school and beginning high school, you want to tune into your own emotions and consciously process them.

When you proactively notice, learn from, and clear your emotions, you make it easier for your child to identify and process their own so their feelings aren't overshadowed by yours.

It can be scary to go from a smaller school to a bigger one with so many more bodies, a larger campus, unfamiliar teachers, and unknown unwritten codes of behavior. Throw puberty into the mix, and it can be a downright turbulent time.

It's also good to reclaim your energy from the community of other parents, teachers, and staff you've grown to love. This will help you process the sadness you feel from the ending of this chapter in both your and your child's lives.

It's Extra Intense for High School Seniors

High School seniors and their parents have the most radical transition of all – my family and I are in the midst of this now.

Some of our local high schools had their senior prom this past weekend. This high school “milestone” is exciting and fun – getting dressed up, spending time with classmates they will soon be leaving, celebrating the completion of a big goal – but it can also bring up complex emotions.

I have a special place in my heart for teenagers, period, full stop. I wrote about the importance of remembering that Teens Are Spirit Too at this time last year (a good read, too, if I don't say so myself).

My greatest wish is for each teenager to feel seen, valued, loved, and included.

While my daughter was getting ready for her senior prom, I noticed my increased awareness around inclusiveness for all the kids:

• Kids who wanted to attend prom, but didn't or couldn't for whatever reason

• Kids outside the “norm” such as LGBTQ kids who courageously went to prom even though it could have been intimidating for them

• Low-income kids, friend-adjacent to the wealthy ones, who may have felt the need to work extra hard to prove their worthiness in order to belong

• Even the kids who seem to have it “all” on the outside, have internal struggles (trust me, I work with a lot of teens)!

Your own awareness will likely give rise to different emotions, but the key is to pay attention to what you are feeling about what your kids are experiencing.

In addition to social pressures of these rites of passage, high school seniors also have their post-high school future on their minds, whether they are going to college or not.

Friendships will invariably change. Family dynamics will morph. Fear of the future can cause mild-to-severe anxiety for even the most outwardly confident teen.

How to Support Your Teen

The best thing parents can do for their children during this transitional time is to stay as present as possible.

Presence will help you notice if you start ruminating about the past or feel fear caused by future tripping.

For example, do you find yourself going back to your own high school experiences, or wondering if you chose the right school for your child, or if you could have done some things better or at least differently?

Or maybe you're already jumping out into the fall wondering how their move will go, will they make friends, will they party too much or get assaulted, not to mention: will they learn what they need to get a decent job afterward?!

Presence is Key

Bringing your attention right back to the “now” will allow you to tune into those emotions that are causing you to leave the present.

Becoming aware of your feelings is the first step you need to take so you can process them and keep your energy nice and clear.

Whether your teens show it on the outside or keep their emotions hidden within, it's normal for them to experience some angst during this time of radical change.

As a parent, you can best support your teens by actively managing your own energy. That way, you can respond to their emotional unrest rather than react from your triggers.

Intuitive Coaching for Life's Transitions

We all go through transitions in life, and they can be both exciting and challenging. Sometimes these transitions can be difficult to navigate, especially if they involve leaving behind a familiar path or way of being. If you're feeling stuck or uncertain about what to do next, intuitive life coaching may help you navigate your next steps.

The goal isn't to tell you what to do but instead help you make good decisions for yourself so that you can keep moving forward with confidence and certainty.

If this sounds like something that would benefit you, schedule a free consultation today.