For some children and young people, change is stressful. However, some find it harder to manage than others.
A particularly stressful time is when children and young people start at early learning services, school, school age care or move from primary to secondary school.
Children show their anxiety in a variety of ways. Some may be visibly distressed, but others may feel physically sick with headaches or stomach ache. Some may refuse to speak or interact, while others have tantrums.
Read the Be You Fact Sheet on Separation Anxiety for more information.
These are not just the big changes but also the little ones that occur throughout the day such as moving from activity to activity, room to room, indoors to outdoors.
Children and young people transitioning to before or after school age care programs experience even more change in their day.
It’s important to both reassure children and young people and to support their social emotional learning by allowing them to practise managing their own emotions.
Working in partnership with families and communicating regularly with them to support children and young people is as important as developing flexible expectations and clear routines around the changes. Giving them advanced notice of what is happening next in their day, and acknowledging their emotions will promote a sense of calmness and start to build a sense of belonging and connection to the new environment or situation.
If you are concerned about a child or young person, use the behaviour, emotions, thoughts, learning and social relationships (BETLS) Observation Tool to document what you see and hear rather than what you think about a child or young person’s behaviours, emotions and thoughts. Explore the Notice module in the Be You Professional Learning, Early Support domain for more information.
Join a Be You Spotlight or Conversation to engage and learn with other educators and Be You consultants.
A particularly stressful time is when children and young people start at early learning services, school, school age care or move from primary to secondary school.
Separation anxiety
Separation anxiety refers to the fear children and young people have when separating from their family or carers and moving to different situations. It is normal, reflecting their attempt to hold on to what they know, and is familiar. This can relate to their physical or social environments, their routines and their relationships.Children show their anxiety in a variety of ways. Some may be visibly distressed, but others may feel physically sick with headaches or stomach ache. Some may refuse to speak or interact, while others have tantrums.
Read the Be You Fact Sheet on Separation Anxiety for more information.
When change occurs
Transitions are times of change when children and young people are required to adapt to new environments, people and routines.These are not just the big changes but also the little ones that occur throughout the day such as moving from activity to activity, room to room, indoors to outdoors.
Children and young people transitioning to before or after school age care programs experience even more change in their day.
Managing separation anxiety
Separation anxiety tends to lessen with age. The Australian Parenting Website has some great tips for helping children and young people that can also be useful for educators.It’s important to both reassure children and young people and to support their social emotional learning by allowing them to practise managing their own emotions.
Working in partnership with families and communicating regularly with them to support children and young people is as important as developing flexible expectations and clear routines around the changes. Giving them advanced notice of what is happening next in their day, and acknowledging their emotions will promote a sense of calmness and start to build a sense of belonging and connection to the new environment or situation.
If you are concerned about a child or young person, use the behaviour, emotions, thoughts, learning and social relationships (BETLS) Observation Tool to document what you see and hear rather than what you think about a child or young person’s behaviours, emotions and thoughts. Explore the Notice module in the Be You Professional Learning, Early Support domain for more information.
Join a Be You Spotlight or Conversation to engage and learn with other educators and Be You consultants.