08/24/2026
Change can be exciting—but it can also be hard.
Starting a new school year, making new friends, becoming more independent, adjusting to changes in school and at home can bring a mix of emotions for teens.
Even positive changes can create uncertainty.
Be there confidently to help your teen "adjust" to new school year changes in an empowering way while giving them space to acknowledge what they're feeling.
Try asking questions that help place you in their experience and practice listening without falling into the concern with them as that is usually additionally overwhelming to teens.
💙 "How is your classroom set up, whom are you sitting next to?"
💙 "How was your recess, whom did you sit with by lunch?"
💙 "Have you learned something new at school today?"
Sometimes, having someone who listens without beginning to worry themselves can make a new chapter feel a little less overwhelming. Connect with adolescents in a way that is supportive, put yourself in their shoes for a moment and let them share without feeling that they might share the wrong thing or that something difficult might be burdening you as their parent/caretaker.
Every transition takes time. Your teen doesn't have to figure it all out at once.