FALLS CHURCH, Va. –
Note: Lt. Col. Boyd is a clinical psychologist and published children’s book author.
Change can be hard for everyone but especially for children who often do better with structure and stability. Whether they’re starting a summer camp, going on vacation, moving into a new home, or graduating, children can experience significant change during the summer months when routines and plans are often disrupted. A break from the busyness of the school year can be relaxing, however, maintaining a daily or weekly schedule can make summer easier to handle and more fun for everyone. Although change is a natural part of life, regardless of age, there are simple strategies to help children cope with changes, whether small or big.
Tips for helping children cope with change
- Stick to routines. Creating a daily or weekly schedule and keeping regular mealtimes and bedtimes are two of the simplest ways to help children cope with change. These strategies help with providing stability and making children feel safe and calm in the midst of experiencing an adjustment. Because change can be stressful, continuing to follow the same bedtime routine or mealtime can help meet a child’s basic needs and lessen stressful feelings that may result from missing regular interaction with school friends or adapting to new activities such as camp or travel.
- Balance activities with downtime. While planning summer activities that are fun and exciting, some children can feel overwhelmed with constant busyness, such as traveling for summer vacation. Building in time to relax and unwind can be helpful to avoid feeling fatigued or overstimulated.
- Use visuals. Preparing a physical calendar or checklist with planned summer activities such as going to the playground or pool provides children a helpful schedule they can depend on and fun times to look forward to.
- Communicate early. One of the simplest yet most effective ways to help children cope with expected changes, such as ending a school year, starting summer camp, or beginning a new caregiver routine, is talking about the change in advance. When possible, giving children a heads up helps them process, prepare for, and ask questions about the change.
- Spend time outdoors. Finding activities your child enjoys, such as riding a bike or scooter, swimming at the pool, playing soccer, or going to the beach or water park, increases physical activity and limits time spent in front of a screen. Physical activity is helpful for both a child’s body and mind, especially when time outdoors is spent interacting with others.
Additional helpful tips for coping with change
- Be consistent.
- Listen to your child’s concerns.
- Offer choices.
- Allow your child to provide input in creating a schedule.
- Keep children connected with classmates and friends.
Building resilience through stress management, coping skills
Difficulty adjusting to life changes can greatly impact a child’s mood, self-esteem, behavior, academic performance, and overall adjustment to a stressor. Behavioral health intervention strategies that can effectively help children manage stress include providing healthy outlets for emotions, integrating family, school, and social support; and fostering healthy stress-management and coping skills.
To help build their resilience in response to the expected and unexpected challenges in any situation, it is important to equip children with stress-management strategies and healthy coping skills that can help foster positive outcomes.
Some signs of children experiencing stress from change may include:
- Emotional outbursts
- Sleeping difficulties
- Social withdrawal
- Lack of interest in activities enjoyed previously
- Physical symptoms such as stomachaches or headaches
- Irritability, fussiness or defiance
Healthy coping skills for children
Here are some recommended healthy coping strategies for children:
- Positive affirmations and self-talk
- Healthy expression of feelings: art, writing, talking, laughing, praying, crying
- Relaxation techniques: deep breathing, muscle relaxation, guided imagery
- Physical activity: sports, stretching, yoga
- Mind activities: reading, puzzles, listening to music
Awareness of resources, including websites, apps, and books about coping with change, can be a protective factor for families during periods of transition.
Additional support recommendations