Dear School Counselor Mom,

Halfway through the school year, my child’s teacher retired. All the kids just loved her. Her new teacher is just that, a new teacher. This is her first time teaching. Me and some other mothers feel they should have hired a teacher with more experience. What do you think? 

-Nicole, Plano

Dear Nicole,

I think you should support the new teacher just as you did for the teacher who retired. Stay involved and be a part of helping this first year teacher grow into an experienced teacher. Be careful not to convey your feelings about the teacher in front of your daughter as sometimes kids tend to act as we do and not as we say.

Dear School Counselor Mom,

We recently bought our first home and are moving from one community to another. Although we are still in McKinney, the school my son attends is located in another school district. We are excited about our new home. But, my son is not. He’s in the third grade and has been at the same school since kindergarten. What can I do to help him be happy about moving?

-McKinney Mom

Dear McKinney Mom,

You’re already helping him by looking for ways to provide support for your son ahead of time! Typically, a third grader doesn’t want to change schools, because he wants to be with the friends he has established. Notify his teacher that he is going to be moving so she can talk positive about the move. Ask his teacher to email you to find out how he’s doing. Call ahead and take him to visit the new school. Let the counselor know that he is apprehensive about changing schools. Inquire about extracurricular activities that are offered at the new school, which he participated in at his present school. Keep him involved in activities outside of the school setting; ie. church, boy scouts, etc. Familiarize him with what the new community has to offer such as parks, community pools, bike trails and bookstores. Once you move, it’s important to establish a routine for him. After he gets adjusted to his new school, allow him to keep in touch with some of his friends from his former school. If after a while, he is still having problems with the transition, inquire about a friendship or related small counseling group for new kids.  

Sharon Kind is a licensed school counselor and freelance writer. A product of a military family, she is a mom of one daughter and resides in McKinney, Texas. Sharon Kind can be reached at schoolcounselormom@yahoo.com.