New Resource to Help Anxious Kids Transition Back-to-School

My husband is very spontaneous. He used to wake up on Saturday mornings and announce an outing. An outing that would require a quick transition from sleep-wear and coffee sipping to outdoor attire and water bottles.

As I lounged on the sofa and let my mind slowly warm up to the day, he’d be bouncing around grabbing shoes and hats and asking me what was taking so long.

You are probably aware that some looks can be both silent and deafening at the same time? Well, I’m pretty good at those looks (just ask Rob). And that’s the response he’d get from me as he gathered his keys and wallet and dared to ask me why I wasn’t ready yet.

It took us years to figure out that I simply need more time to transition to a new plan or schedule change.

He can pivot on a dime, but I need to simmer and process and breathe and plan before I am “in”.

Now, when he wants to do something early on a Saturday morning he tells me about it on Friday. He knows that getting six people out the door is much different than getting one or two. He knows how to fill water bottles the night before and prep the picnic and lay out all the shoes.

He knows we need diapers and wipes and a back-up pacifier and a stroller or baby carrier and the bike pump and ALL-THE-THINGS.

But he isn’t the only one who has learned and grown.

I’ve also learned to push myself a bit when new plans are announced. I try to take a few deep breathes and ask myself what is truly stopping the new plan from happening. Is there really something else pressing on my day? Or did I just prefer the freedom of empty time?

Well… I know that was a long intro to my point… which is simply that if transitions and changed plans and new routines are hard for grown-ups… then shouldn’t we show compassion and understanding when our children struggle with those things as well?

I’ve learned that the start of the school year comes with lots of mixed emotions and the potential for outbursts in our home.

In a lot of ways, when it comes to the new school year, I’m like Rob – ready to jump in and go. But my kids are like me on the sofa in slippers shooting daggers at me through their precious eyeballs.

I’ve learned that being as clear as possible about expectations, and helping my girls prepare ahead of time can go a long way towards smoothing out the transition bumps.

This year I took these things a step further and created a family devotional kit to help our family prepare our hearts and minds for the new school year.

And I’ve made it available to you too!

If you are a subscriber (or if you subscribe before August 30), then you will receive the devotional for FREE in my September newsletter.

But if you want it sooner, or aren’t comfortable subscribing to things – it’s also available in my Encouragement Shop.

My girls helped me write and create this devotional. And we worked through it together the week before they went back to school.

If your kids have already started – it’s not too late to use it! It’s all about how God is our shield and how he protects us and cares for us wherever we go. There is a journal sheet, a simple craft, some coloring pages I drew, and a template for your child to write a note to his teacher.

It’s been a blessing for my girls to remember that God is their shield.

And you know what. It’s been an encouragement to my heart as well. Because we never grow out of our need for a savior, protector, redeemer and friend.

Praise God that he is the shield for our weary hearts – and we can always find our encouragement in him!