How to Help When Kids Are Starting a New School

For children and teens, starting a new school can feel like stepping into unknown territory. The unfamiliar hallways, new classmates, and broken routines can stir anxiety, grief, and disconnection. For kids who are already navigating the complex emotional terrain of adolescence, the change can feel overwhelming.

Whether your family has moved to a new town or school district, or your child is transitioning into middle or high school, figuring out a new school can be an uncomfortable process. Here are some ways parents and other family members and mentors can support teens in processing big life changes like starting a new school. With support and healthy coping tools, they can adapt smoothly and build resilience and confidence.

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What You’ll Learn

• How does starting a new school impact kids’ mental health?
• How can you tell if a child or teen needs additional support to adjust to a new school?
• What are some strategies to help kids adjust after a move?
• Can treatment help kids struggling with adapting to a new home and/or new school?

Quick Read

Starting a new school can be a daunting experience for children and teens, often triggering feelings of anxiety, grief, and disconnection. The unfamiliar environment, new classmates, and disrupted routines can intensify the emotional challenges that adolescents already face. Parents and mentors can play a crucial role in helping young people navigate these transitions by providing support and coping strategies to build resilience and confidence.

The emotional impact of moving to a new school can be challenging. Teens may mourn the loss of friendships and familiar settings while simultaneously feeling excitement about new opportunities. Recognizing that these emotions are normal is essential for helping them process their experiences and adapt to their new surroundings.

Mental health challenges can arise during school transitions, particularly for teens already dealing with anxiety or depression. The disruption of established support networks and coping mechanisms can exacerbate feelings of isolation and academic stress. For those in families that frequently relocate, such as military families, the cycle of loss and adjustment can significantly impact self-esteem and trust, making it vital for parents to provide consistent support during these changes.

To help kids adjust to a new school, maintaining open communication is key. Parents should encourage routines, foster connections with peers, normalize feelings, and help their children feel a sense of belonging. If signs of distress persist, professional support may be necessary to ensure the teen’s mental health and well-being during this challenging transition.

The Emotional Impact of Moving to a New School

Going back to school can be scary for some young people, even when they’re returning to a familiar place. When a move or new school is added into the mix, their feelings of unease can be even more intense. Starting over socially and academically can trigger a wide range of feelings. These might include:

• Sadness and grief over leaving friends, favorite teachers, and familiar spaces behind
• Anxiety about fitting in, navigating a new school system, and meeting academic expectations
• Anger and resentment toward parents, peers, and adult school figures
• Loneliness due to feeling like an outsider, without an established friend group
• Frustration if the move wasn’t what they wanted, or if they had to give up activities or sports they loved
• Hope and excitement about new opportunities, mixed with uncertainty about what those opportunities might look like

All of these feelings can coexist. A teen might be excited to explore new friendships and environments while also mourning what they’ve lost.

How Moving Schools Can Affect Teen Mental Health

While some teens adjust quickly to change, others may experience mental health challenges that are amplified by the move. This is especially true for those who are coping with a new town or city, as well as a new school. And kids with anxiety or depression may be more prone to distress related to moving schools. 

The upheaval can create the following impacts:

• Disrupt coping mechanisms that were working well in their previous environment
• Interrupt support networks, including friends, teachers, coaches, or therapists
• Increase social anxiety, especially if they struggle with starting conversations or reading social cues
• Trigger academic stress due to different teaching styles or curriculum
• Amplify a sense of “otherness,” not belonging, or isolation

For young people who grow up in military families or families who move a lot, finding safety in new schools can be especially challenging. Repeated relocations may create a cycle of loss and readjustment that impacts self-esteem and trust. Supporting teens through this process can help them move through difficult emotions and retain a sense of stability through the change. 

Why Moving and Changing Schools Can Feel Like Grief

Whether you’ve moved to a new place, or your child is transitioning from elementary to middle school or from middle to high school, they are likely feeling some big emotions. These might look like irritability, withdrawal, or even defiance. Underneath that, they may be grieving and don’t fully know how to express or acknowledge it. 

They’ve lost the comfort of knowing where everything is, their familiar friendships and routines, and the sense of being known in their community. Acknowledging and normalizing this grief helps kids process the feelings and embrace the experience of being in a new place. 

Recognizing When a Teen Needs Extra Support

Some teens may adjust relatively quickly, while others struggle. Often, even those who appear well adjusted may need extra support to fully process the changes in their life. Some signs that the school transition is taking a toll include:

• Persistent sadness or hopelessness
• Truancy, avoidance of school, or frequent requests to stay home
• Loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy
• Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
• Declining grades or incomplete work
• Increased irritability or anger outbursts
• Being unwilling or hesitant to talk about the change and their previous home

If you notice these signs lasting more than a couple of weeks, or if they seem to be getting worse, it may be time to seek help. Newport Academy offers nurturing, comprehensive therapeutic programs that address multiple aspects of mental health in teens and children.

How to Help Kids After a Move

Most parents worry about the impact that a move will have on their children and don’t take the choice to uproot their kids lightly. You don’t need to beat yourself up for relocating your family. But you do need to help and support your children before, during, and after the transition. 

Grief and hard feelings aren’t linear, and your child may go through a lot of ups and downs over a long period of time. All of these emotions and experiences deserve care. And since a big part of moving is adjusting to a new school, parents need to support this aspect of the transition. This will look a bit different for each child, depending on their age and temperament. 

5 Strategies for Helping Teens Adjust to a New School

Maintaining open communication is perhaps the most important aspect of helping your child adjust. Talk to your kid regularly and listen to them without judgment, defensiveness, or jumping to solutions. Validate and empathize with what they’re going through, and show them you’re someone they can trust and turn to. Simply being there for your child is often one of the most helpful ways to create a sense of safety, stability, and resilience. 

Alongside this support, you can also talk to them about practical ways to help them adapt. Here are some places to start.

1. Keep Routines While Staying Flexible

School routines provide comfort and predictability during transitions. This includes:

• Maintaining regular sleep, meals, and study times
• Starting with one or two “anchor” activities, like breakfast together or a set after-school wind-down
• Adjusting gradually as the new schedule demands

2. Encourage Connection

Loneliness and feeling left out are often the hardest hurdles to overcome. Here are some ways to help your teen feel more connected at their new school.

• Encourage them to join clubs or teams that align with their interests.
• Support them to stay in touch with old friends through video calls, texts, visits, or letters and packages.
• Help them keep old hobbies and attempt new ones (if they have the ability and capacity).

3. Normalize Feelings

Remind your teen that all feelings are normal and valid.

• Check in with them often, even if they don’t share much with you.
• Say things like, “It’s okay to miss your old school” or “You don’t have to love it here right away.”
• Model resilience by sharing times you adapted to big changes.
• Remind them of other times they’ve adapted successfully to changes.
• Keep conversations open without pressuring them to “just get over it.”
• Remind them that asking for help is a skill, not a weakness.

4. Help Foster Belonging

Help your teen feel part of their new school’s ecosystem.

• Attend school events together.
• Volunteer at activities where your teen can participate alongside peers.
• Encourage consistent attendance in extracurriculars to create familiarity.
• Support them in their hobbies, including attending performances or games, or trying new things with them.
• Form relationships with your child’s new teachers, tutors, principals, and school counselors to create additional support networks.

5. Seek Professional Support When Needed

For teens showing deeper distress or dissociation, professional help can make a big difference. Comprehensive care that includes family therapy and group therapy can strengthen bonds, dispel feelings of otherness, and cultivate trust during transitions.

Treatment for Child and Teen Mental Health Issues at Newport Academy 

Starting at a new school often feels like navigating uncharted waters. When parents validate feelings, maintain stability, foster connection, and seek professional help when needed, teens can not only adjust but thrive. However, if a child’s distress or sadness about moving to a new place and starting at a new school doesn’t improve within a few weeks, it may be an indicator that they need professional help.

At Newport Academy, we approach child and teen mental health through the lens of connection, resilience, and growth. Through our residential and outpatient treatment programs, we help children ages 7–11 and adolescents ages 12–18 process school-related stress, including grief, trauma, anger, and anxiety. We also guide families to build stronger and more nurturing communication and trust at home. 

If your child is struggling, reach out to us today. Our admissions team will work with you to identify the right treatment options and begin the journey toward healing.

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