Wellbeing
Shelby Turner and Josy Reeder
Healthy transitions
The end of the educational year brings changes, both big and small, for children, young people and adults.
Be You In Focus Webinar: Transitions – preparing children and young people for change (Please click to watch)
Everyone reacts differently to change – some find it exciting, some find it stressful, some hardly notice it happened.
Adults use their experience and existing knowledge to predict what changes may be like, and how it may affect them and can develop strategies to help them adjust and cope.
Children and young people don’t often have as much prior knowledge or experience to draw on which can make change more difficult and challenging.
Transitions are everywhere, every day
Transitions are best described as change: a period where we must adapt to new circumstances, expectations, people, environments or routines.
Transition involves more than the first day in a new situation – it’s happens over time both before and after what we think of as the ‘big’ day. How quickly children and young people adjust varies.
When thinking about types of transitions for children and young people we might consider:
- their first transition from home to an early learning service
- the first year of school
- moving from primary to secondary school
- finishing secondary school and moving to the next stage of study or work.
However, small transitions are happening every day for children and young people: saying goodbye to family in the morning, stopping one thing and starting something new, moving from one room or building to another.
Transitions also occur in home life: moving house, going on holiday, the birth of a sibling, family changes, separations or bereavements.
These early years’ experiences can influence how we approach and cope with transitions throughout life.
What we might observe during transitions
Children and young people often communicate their feelings through behaviour. They rely on the adults around them to understand, acknowledge and interpret their behaviour, and provide a safe, secure, predictable space for them.
Transitions are successful when children and young people feel confident, secure and included – and these are all important protective factors for children’s mental health and wellbeing.
Supporting transitions and building resilience
We build resilience by learning and developing social and emotional skills – including coping skills. With these skills we manage life stressors, grow confidence and willingness to try new things, and seek and accept help when required.
During transitions, things we can do that provide the most positive experience for children and young people, maintain and grow relationships, and reduce routine disruption and stress include:
- Plan and prepare for transitions through a supportive orientation process.
- Have consistent communication with everyone - including children, young people, their families and educators.
- Develop strategies that include planning for and respecting diversity and individual needs.
- Be flexible when the unexpected happens.
- Establish routines as soon as possible to develop a sense of predictability in the new environment.
What does it mean for my family?
eSafety welcomes the introduction of the Australian Government’s Social Media Minimum Age Bill setting a minimum age of 16 for access to certain age-restricted social media platforms. While the contents and passage of the legislation remains a matter for the Parliament, eSafety looks forward to working closely with government, industry and the Australian community to ensure the implementation of any future legislation is effective, enforceable and fair.
Even with minimum age restrictions in place, it is crucial that we continue supporting parents to play an active role in their children’s online lives. Nothing can replace those vital conversations that help parents stay informed, set boundaries and help when something goes wrong. By modelling good digital practices, parents can lay the foundations for safer and more positive online experiences.