How to Help Your Child Cope with Anxiety Around a Move or a New School Year
Understanding Anxiety Around Change
If you're parenting a child between the ages of 6 and 12, you've probably witnessed how even small changes can feel monumental to them. But when it comes to big transitions—like moving to a new home or starting a new school year—those feelings can intensify into persistent anxiety, sometimes affecting sleep, appetite, mood, and even physical health.
Change disrupts the sense of safety and predictability that so many children rely on. For a child who already experiences heightened sensitivity or anxiety, transitions can feel overwhelming. As a parent, it's hard to watch your child worry or withdraw, especially when you're juggling logistics, work, and your own stress.
But there are ways to bridge the emotional gap—before, during, and after the transition. Let’s walk through how you can create a foundation of calm and connection, no matter how big the change ahead.
Create Predictability Where You Can
One of the most reassuring gifts you can give your child ahead of a move or school transition is a sense of what to expect. Even though the entire situation might be new to them, familiarity in the small things can go a long way.
For a move, walk them through visuals if possible. Show them pictures of the new house or apartment, the neighborhood, and their new room. Get Google Maps walking around their future block. If you're prepping for a new school year—or a new school altogether—drive by the building, explore the route together, or look up any online material about teachers, classrooms, or school rules.
One parent shared with me that creating a “transition notebook” with her child helped enormously: maps, photos, drawings of the old home and new one, goodbye letters to friends, and a list of things they're looking forward to. The act of putting thoughts and feelings on paper gives them agency and voice in a process that may otherwise feel outside their control.
Guide Conversations, Don’t Rush Reassurance
It's common for children to ask the same questions—or express the same worries—again and again. “What if I don’t make new friends?” “What if I hate my new school?” “What if I miss our old house?”
It’s tempting to jump in with, “You’ll be fine!” But platitudes don’t process feelings. Instead, reflect what you hear: “You’re wondering what it's going to be like not knowing anyone. That makes a lot of sense.” Or, “You're feeling nervous and excited at the same time. We all feel a bit like that during big changes.”
This kind of attuned listening lowers the emotional temperature and opens the door for deeper sharing over time. Pausing to validate doesn’t mean you’re encouraging worry—it means you're helping your child feel safe enough to walk through it with support.
Build Comfort Into the Unknown
We can't take away the uncertainty of change, but we can pair it with comfort and predictability. For younger children, familiar objects—like a favorite pillow, blanket, or bedtime hoodie—offer anchoring. For older kids, keeping their bedtime stories, music, or routines consistent (even if other surroundings change) supports emotional regulation.
Audio tools can be especially supportive during transitions because they stimulate imagination, soothe overstimulated nervous systems, and encourage quiet time that’s not screen-based. The iOS and Android versions of the LISN Kids App offer a growing library of original audio stories and series crafted for ages 3–12. Choosing a calming story together can become part of your evening ritual—a powerful tool not just for bedtime, but also for centering your child during uncertain times.
Help Them Say Goodbye
Little rituals matter. Ending something well can make the next chapter feel less like a rupture and more like a continuation. Whether your child is leaving a beloved teacher, switching neighborhoods, or saying goodbye to classmates, acknowledge the significance of it.
Hold a small farewell party, send cards or video messages, or take one last walk through favorite spots. These actions, though modest, help children recognize their own story arc—they're not just being pulled away; they're invited to move forward.
Pairing your exit with something tangible (“Let’s put together a memory box to take with us”) helps ground emotions that often feel too hard to name.
Support Coping Skills Over Time
Even after the move or first day has passed, anxiety can linger. Tune in to new behaviors: withdrawal, irritability, sleep disruption, or sudden clinginess may signal ongoing worry that your child hasn't verbalized.
And the truth is—some kids don’t open up easily. That’s okay. Children process emotions in different ways. While some talk, others draw, move, play, or listen. If you're unsure how deep the anxiety goes, this guide on sensitivity versus clinical anxiety may help you distinguish between typical adjustment and signs your child might benefit from deeper support.
You can also foster emotional resilience through stories and play. This article on helping kids overcome fear of failure offers strategies you might find helpful during times of transition. Or explore audio-based coping tools for anxiety if your child benefits more from quiet, imaginative regulation.
Be Gentle With Yourself Too
Transitions are exhausting—for everyone. And when you’re managing school paperwork, box-packing, or new-commute logistics, your bandwidth may be low. So take a deep breath. No one handles every shift perfectly. Your child doesn’t need perfection—they need your calm presence, your consistent return to connection, your willingness to slow down and attune.
Most of all, they need the message: “Whatever we go through, we’ll walk through it together.” That’s what will root them—not in a place, but in the quiet security of knowing they’re not alone.