The philosopher Heraclitus said, “Change is the only constant in life,” which is likely even truer today than it was when first said. As such, preparing our kids (and ourselves) for the many transitions they will face throughout their development will serve them well. One of the significant changes they regularly encounter is the transition between different phases of schooling. So, what can we expect from these transitions? Much like starting a new job for an adult, these milestones can be both exciting and intimidating. Today, we will discuss what to expect as youth adapt to moving through successive levels of schooling and the mental health challenges that can arise at different junctures.
Starting Kindergarten
Most children start kindergarten at age 5. One of the most important things to remember about kindergarten is that kids may start on very different footings. With only about 1/3 of states offering universal pre-K programs, some new students may never have set foot in a classroom before, while others may have already had 3-4 years in voluntary or private pre-K or structured care settings with peers. Even if the kiddo in your life has been in structured settings before, they are often meeting a group of new peers who may not have; it’s an adjustment for all.
Regardless of past exposure, when youth enter kindergarten, they may experience a significant learning curve in terms of absorbing new behavioral expectations, social norms, friendship skills, and even personal safety knowledge. A big developmental goal at this age is to develop confidence and initiative. Although most youth do not develop clinical levels of mental health concerns, some challenges can arise in starting kindergarten: separation anxiety as youth navigate parting from caregivers and meeting new adults, conduct issues such as oppositional behavior or hyperactivity in response to new rules, or the first signs of attention or learning difficulties in trying to gain foundational academic skills. Predictability and structure are helpful to kids at this stage.
Elementary to Middle School
The age ranges for middle school (grades 6-8) or junior high (grades 7-9) span from ages 11-15. At this level, kids may learn how to navigate schedules of multiple classes, take on more independent work and homework, and develop specialized skills or extracurricular activities (such as sports, art, or technology savvy). As such, you can help a youth at this age by encouraging the learning of self-management, by “being a consultant, not the boss.”
With the onset of puberty, teens also begin to explore and understand their social identities, form more complex friendships, look for behavioral cues from peers (more so than family), develop the beginnings of sexual interest, and becoming more concerned with appearance and hygiene. While mostly exciting, this social growth can also have a dark side in terms of the possibilities for peer pressure, bullying, and relational aggression. While some normal moodiness and difficult behavior can crop up, do keep an eye out for more intense symptoms of depression (e.g., persistent sadness or irritability, lack of interest in pleasurable activities and socializing, dysregulation in sleep and/or appetite) and non-suicidal self-harming.
Middle to High School
For most youth, high school finishes out the adolescent years. During this time, youth often continue to differentiate from the family in terms of developing stronger peer relationships and general independence. With their ongoing cognitive and social developments, identity exploration and consideration of the future may also start to come to the forefront. Youth may try on different personas, commit a lot of time to friends and hobbies, begin driving, take on part-time jobs, become sexually active, deal with even more homework, and begin to take their grades more seriously. It’s an exhilarating time – one that can result in both tremendous growth and sometimes a lot of perceived pressure.
The many things competing for teens’ time and attention can result in some of them being spread pretty thin. The multiple demands can be stressful, and things to be cognizant of may include signs or symptoms of things like social anxiety, disordered eating, and/or suicidality. Additionally, parent-teen conflict can be somewhat typical as youth grow in independence. Although there is some evidence to suggest that, on average, teens engage of newer generations are pushing less to engage in adult behavior, supervision and engagement from caregivers is still important in curbing risky behavior and protecting teen safety during high school.
High School to College/Workforce
The transition out of high school marks the entry into adulthood, and young adults can take many paths. Some may enter the workforce; some may choose college; and others may remain in the family home or business. Regardless, there are often significant shifts in social, financial, and legal expectations and responsibilities. Young adults experience a lot of newness – new people, new places, and new activities. For the first time, they may be paying their own bills, living away from home, sharing space with roommates, managing their own activities of daily living, considering long-term career paths, and generally making their own decisions.
With this novelty and self-determination, some challenges can, of course, arise in terms of loneliness, social conflict, romantic turmoil, and exploring sexuality. The logistics of financial stress/debt, academic stress, time management, and finding work-life balance can also be a lot for them. Again, although most youth and young adults will not experience clinical levels of mental health concerns, the majority who do might start developing symptoms around this time. First episodes of a broad variety of disorders, including those above and some others not yet mentioned (e.g., substance abuse, bipolar, schizophrenia, personality disorders) can occur during this life stage. Despite their independence, emerging adults may still need your support and guidance, but also your expressed confidence in them to use their problem-solving and broadening social network to build resilience for adulthood.
Conclusion
Although difficulties can accompany school transitions, these are generally exciting times brimming opportunity and growth. Those trying to support a young person through these phases of life can prepare themselves with information and be mindful of potential pitfalls, while scaffolding emerging confidence for youth toward a happy, healthy, and independent future.
Further Resources
https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/articles/supporting-your-childs-transition-to-middle-school
https://affect.coe.hawaii.edu/lessons/transitioning-from-middle-school-to-high-school/#intro
https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.2014.68.1.103
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About the Author
Taylor Thompson, Ph.D., serves as a distance learning developer and literature coder on the Services and Products Development team at PracticeWise. Learn more about Dr. Thompson on the PracticeWise team page.
