The transition from elementary to secondary school, or junior high school, is one of the most nerve-wracking experiences your child will ever face (exempting the transition to kindergarten). Not only is your child going back to school, they’re facing a whole new type of school full of new challenges.

Your child will have to adjust to having a different instructor for every subject, which means grades might not be as high as they used to be. This is part of the function of junior high; this struggle will inevitably even out and prepare your child for high school and college.

Your child is also going to face a whole new social environment. Whether attending a public or private school, there is a dramatic shift in the social behavior of children between elementary and secondary school. Hormones are kicking in, complicating the lives of all the children at the school.

Fortunately, junior high opens the door to more extracurricular activities. Your child will start to partake in elective courses and find other subjects besides the core academics to have an interest in. It’s crucial for children to continue familiar activities they’ve had prior to secondary school as well, such as any dance, sports, music, martial arts, or other activities they have been for one to several years of their lives. This kind of stability will help stabilize the rollercoaster experience that junior high often throws in children’s laps.

Because of all the changes happening in your child’s life, junior high might be one of the most nerve-wracking experiences you ever face too! Try to work with your child during this fundamental point in their lives to make it through secondary school both academically and socially.