Another school year has come and gone, with most local schools drawing to a close this week. While many children are pleased to enter summer vacation, this isn’t the case for all. They may be glad that they no longer have homework, but the lack of a regular routine and socialization can be much harder on some kids than others.

The website, www.parents.com, highlights this issue.

“Children’s propensity to grow attached to teachers and peers or feel anxious about changes can be influenced by several factors,” said Amanda Gummer, PhD, child development expert and founder and CEO of Good Play Guide, in an article on the website.

It states that, among those factors are:

≤ Personality; some children naturally form strong emotional bonds and are more sensitive to changes in their social environment.

≤ Previous experiences; kids who have experienced instability or loss in their lives may develop a heightened need for security, making them more attached to familiar people and routines.

≤ Social skills; children who find it challenging to make new friends may rely heavily on established relationships with teachers and peers, leading to greater anxiety about change.

≤ Home environment; a supportive and communicative home environment can help mitigate anxiety, while a stressful or unpredictable home life might exacerbate feelings of insecurity and attachment to school figures.

“Validate your child’s emotions by acknowledging that it’s normal to feel sad or anxious about the end of the school year,” said Gummer, adding, “Encourage them to express their feelings through conversation, drawing, writing, or role playing.”

Gummer recommends some other strategies to help a bummed kiddo cope with the big changes that are happening in their lives:

≤ Maintain routines

≤ Stay connected with teachers and classmates to the extent that you can

≤ Speak positively about the coming school year

≤ Enjoy the summer

These issues can also intensify when a child is advancing from elementary school to middle school, or middle school to high school. The writer goes on to say that most kids will have a mixed bag of emotions at the end of the school year, and some of that is to be expected. However, we should be attentive to what they are feeling, and as parents — do our best to plan a summer full of fun activities whole preparing for what comes next.