Parents and teachers need to help children during transition to new schools

Clinical psychologist Meiri Dias Tuti has stated that children require support from parents and teachers to adapt during the transition to a new school environment. “Open and honest communication between parents and teachers will help facilitate the smooth and successful passage of the child through the transition period in the new school environment,” she said when contacted in Jakarta on Wednesday. According to the psychologist, who is a member of the Indonesian School Psychologists Association within the Indonesian Psychology Association, parents should communicate with teachers if they find their child needs more time or faces obstacles in adapting to the new school environment. “There are many obstacles, for example, the child could be shy or have a brain development disorder, such as ADHD, or have other special needs, or other complaints, or physical limitations. That is what we need to communicate to the teacher,” she said. Meiri noted that everyone has different adaptation abilities when entering a new environment; some can adjust more quickly, while others need more time. Children who have adapted well can generally interact well and follow the rules applied in the new school environment. Meanwhile, children who still need time to adapt usually exhibit behaviours such as withdrawal, crying or anxiety when having to separate from their parents, or an unwillingness to let go of their parents. The member of the East Java Clinical Psychology Association said parents can also provide an overview of exciting and positive things in the new school environment to the child. “We can persuade our child that they will learn in a fun way at this school, so the child feels excited or willing to attend school there,” she said. If a child is found to be having extreme difficulty adapting to the new school environment, parents may consider consulting a professional such as a psychologist. “If the child is already showing signs of excessive fearful behaviour, for example, throwing tantrums, crying all day at school, or excessive behaviour that means they cannot be left, we should consider whether our child might need professional help to undergo therapy,” Meiri said.