End of School Year: What Supporting Your HSC Through School Transitions Looks Like

No time of the year is “easy” for parents of HSCs.

Whether your kid gets super stressed after Christmas …

Hates the change in seasons …

Or experiences extreme anxiety at the start of a new semester …

One time that clients at MTC frequently tell us is a minefield, is the end of the school year.

While most kids are excited for the long, school-free days ahead, for HSCs, the change in routine can be triggering.

This is why it’s so important you know what to do to support them through the transition.

Because your actions here can be the difference between a fun-filled summer, full of amazing memories that last a lifetime -- for them and for you …

And a summer of meltdowns, arguments, and wishing away the days!

To help you out, I put together a quick rundown of summer transition myths vs. facts …

AKA: Your End of Year School Survival Guide:

Myth: Their behavior is manipulative or intentionally difficult.

Fact: Their meltdowns are a result of emotional dysregulation and distress, not manipulation.

Highly sensitive children have intense experiences of emotional and sensory input that can quickly become overwhelming without the proper support.

Immediately assuming their actions are done to try and manipulate a situation is the fastest way to get resentful, or to be REactionary, instead of acting proactively to calm things down.

Count to 10, and put yourself in their shoes for a moment.

Imagine a situation that felt very stressful for you.

You likely wouldn’t act in a rational way, right?

Maybe you’d curse.

You’d raise your voice.

And you’d feel your heart beating faster and your pulse racing.

Your HSC is experiencing something similar.

So while this might not be something you’d get stressed by …

… for them, it’s highly triggering.

So give them some grace, and recognize they’re not acting this way to try and get under your skin.

Myth: You need to keep the same schedule to avoid the meltdowns.

Fact: Resilience is resilience!

You want to support and encourage your kiddo …

But you don’t want to baby them.

Let’s be real - It’s impossible to keep exactly the same schedule during summer vacation as it is when they’re at school.

And trying to do this will only set you up for failure.

So sure, you should probably try to keep some things the same.

But the best way to navigate change is to talk through what’s going to happen BEFORE it actually happens.

Get them prepared to change …

Discuss how they can handle their emotions …

And praise and encourage whenever you can see them working hard to manage and control their emotions.

Myth: You just need to hold your breath until the end of the school year. Vacation will be better.

Fact: Wherever you go, there’ll be challenges. You need to close the ‘skill gap’ for a calm, peaceful transition.

For some HSCs, vacation might be better.

But for many, it won’t.

Change is change, right?

And in order to make that change as calm and stress-free as possible, you need to do your bit to help them navigate the potential chaos.

I can tell you from experience -

Hoping things will be better is NOT a strategy.

And even if things MAY get better, wouldn’t you rather still be prepared, in case they don’t?

That’s what we work with parents on when they come to us.

We want them to have a total toolbox for dealing with any change that could trigger their child.

Whether that’s the end of the school year …

Family events …

Or even just those day-to-day things that can cause stressful, agonizing meltdowns.

Our goal is to help parents feel relaxed, confident and ready to tackle any change …

And to help children feel resilient, calm, and in control.

That way, they not only navigate whatever changes are on the horizon …

But they feel totally ready to tackle ANY situation, whether it’s coming up in 6 days, or 6 years.

So if you’re worried about your kiddo going into meltdown mode at the end of the school year …

Or you’re struggling with their behavior in class, worrying about how isolated and alone they seem, or even dreading the morning routine, because they’re so disruptive …

We can help you with all that … and more!

Just use this link to book a call with us.

We’ll guide you through EXACTLY what’s needed to coach your kiddo into a calm, caring, resilient young adult, ready to handle any change that comes their way:

⇒ “Yes, I want a calm, caring, resilient child.”

For families with high school aged teens, book your call here.