Vocational School of Justice
ADAPTATION TO SCHOOL
As thousands of students and their parents are getting ready for 2016 – 2017 academic year, the experts state that families will have major roles in making their children, who are entering the education life for the first time, adapt to school easily. Betül Özkul Cura, Lecturer at Child Development Program, Vocational School of Health Services, Izmir University of Economics, pointed that children might experience separation anxiety and uncertainty, and getting familiarized with the school would lessen the anxiety.
Özkul Cura reported that in early childhood era, many developmental skills are required for children entering the school life. She said, “Experiencing a positive adaptation process is very significant in terms of children socializing and expressing themselves in an environment independent of their families. Families will have major roles in making their children adapt smoothly. Children who start kindergarten may experience separation anxiety and uncertainty. Additionally, parents feeling guilty and worried because of separation from their children also increase the school phobia in children. Therefore, parents need to be emotionally ready as well when their children start kindergarten. The adaptation process turns into a difficult one when the child feels the mom’s sorrow and anxiety.”
Cura reported that kindergarten started a whole new world for children and parents displaying calm and decided manner and getting their children familiarized with the school would help lessen the separation anxiety. Cura stated the following:
“Talking about how the child’s day went; appreciating his/her accomplishments ease the adaptation process. It is perfectly normal for the child to display behavior such as crying, fearing separation, refusing to go to school, etc. The child should be given time to adjust to this new situation. Meanwhile, the parents need to support their child. It would make the child feel more confident. Likewise, staying with the child at school all the time and trying to be with the child would result in reducing the self-confidence of the child. It would make them become totally dependent to their parents. And, let’s remember that each child is unique, so children should not be compared to other children.”
Being forced, extreme anxiety and sadness may damage the emotional development of children and cause them to experience same problems in elementary school years as well, reported Cura and recommended being understanding and patient towards children during adaptation period.