Transitioning to the Next Level

It is such an exciting time right now as we prepare for the upcoming school year at Lighthouse Christian School! A lot of families have taken their Summer vacations and are winding down other activities as they prepare for their return to school. Other than our graduated seniors, most of our students from last year are returning and moving up into a new grade level.

Our years of experience has allowed us to observe the challenges in transitioning from one grade to the next. We get it! It can be challenging. And the sooner you can learn the art of healthy transitioning, the more successful you’ll become in life. After all, change is hard to live with but impossible to live without.

So here are a few things to keep in mind that should help you in transitioning your student to their next level in life.

1. Prepare Your Child Before the School Year Begins

Before the start of school, sit down with your child and talk to them about what to expect. Explain that this transition into the next grade is just one of many changes they will go through for the rest of their life. Also, they’re not the first. Sometimes knowing we’re not in the boat alone helps us ease the pain of change. 2. Validate Your Child’s feelings About the Change

Obviously, this can be hard. Really! Don’t you remember that first day you took them to kindergarten and the emotions you had when you dropped them off? Frankly, it doesn’t matter if they’re five-years-old or sixteen. There are probably emotions and feelings they are experiencing regardless if they show them or not. Talk to them and really listen. Put yourself in their shoes. When your child has the opportunity to express their feelings to you as their parent, it can go a long way to strengthening your relationship as well as ease their anxiety. 3. Stand By Your Child

Standing by your child means to ensure they know that you’ve got their back. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’re giving them license to disobey or disrespect. What it does mean is through regular and often communication (i.e., daily and weekly), you reinforce the idea that you know what they’re going through and understand because you have been there. Also, if they run into some kind of difficulty (and they will), your love and support will remain. 4. Pray for Your Child

At Lighthouse Christian School, we believe in the power of prayer. And as a parent, it is incumbent on you to exercise your position of spiritual authority and pray over your child. Ask God, in Jesus’ name, to bless your child and to open their minds to receive all the knowledge He wants them to have.

We stand by you and as teachers and administrators, we pray for all our students and their parents. We are honored to partner with you and to see your child flourish!