Kids on the coast

by Fran Maguire

It’s an exciting milestone and yet it doesn’t seem so long ago your proud Year 7 graduate was nervously preparing for their first day at school.

Behind the excitement, your child is sure to be feeling a little trepidation. When they enter high school, not only will they become the ‘little’ kid again, but they are facing a new routine and environment, most likely with more students. There are new friends to make and maybe old friends going on to different high schools or moving away.

The graduation ceremony is a way to mark this milestone, as are the break-up events and swapping keepsakes with friends. It’s a time that will not come again, so how can you make it extra-special for your child and give them a lasting memory they can look back on in years to come?

A fun-filled party at the start of the holidays can be a special get-together before your child’s friends scatter for the summer. Plan it around a favourite activity: maybe a swim or old-fashioned games at the local park before they think they’re too old for them. Make sure you record the event with photos or videos. Why not have fun ‘little kids’ party food’ and a graduation cake decorated in their primary school colours?

For the summer break between schools, why not make the family holiday or day trips part of your child’s transition and take them a step closer to independence? Ask them to plan the trip, choosing somewhere they really want to visit and aim to do something special there.

Christmas is a great opportunity to create a family heirloom to celebrate the momentous occasion that you can bring out each year. Maybe a Christmas plate (your child could design it) or a tree decoration proudly supporting their year of graduation.

A piece of jewellery, such as a charm bracelet, can of course become a treasure which gathers importance as it gathers charms. If they don’t have one already, start it off with a special charm that’s a graduation reminder: Maybe an animal or symbol that represents their primary school or an achievement such as a sporting or academic success.

You may already have treasure boxes or scrapbooks in your family, but if not, it’s a great time to start one to store memories of their time at primary school. It could become a holiday project – pulling together photos, keepsakes, special primary school work and collating them beautifully between two covers. (This is also a great opportunity to plough your way, together, through all of those digital photos, reliving and recording primary school memories before they’re forgotten.)

Friends may be moving to different schools or away, so recording memories with them before they go is especially important. A photo collage can be a wonderful way to cement their friendship. Purchase a large canvas then gather you child’s friends together for a ‘play date’. Give them plenty of floor space and toss a stack of magazines and school images between them. Together they can choose images that encapsulate their experience and stick them on the canvas. Make sure they all sign it and you hang it on your child’s bedroom wall together!

The ‘tween’ and teen years are often a time when social awareness grows and this stepping stone might be a good time for your child to count their blessings. Making a graduation gift through an organisation such as World Vision or The Smith Family not only helps a disadvantaged child but draws attention to the greater community your child is entering.

For animal lovers, the adoption program at Australia Zoo gives the opportunity to make a favourite animal part of the family and funds from adoptions go towards breeding and vital rehabilitation programs. Alma Park Zoo also runs an adoption scheme where fees go towards keeping the chosen animal (including veterinary costs, habitat upgrades, food and enrichment programs). If your child prefers an animal in the wild they can adopt a Mary River turtle, a dolphin or whale.

Whatever your and your child’s choice, what is certain is it is a very special moment in their life, and a precious memento or a lasting celebration of their primary years will be treasured as they find their way through high school and into adult life.

1O ways to help your child prepare for high school 

1. Be enthusiastic about their move
2. Attend high school orientation day to help prepare for the transition
3. Make sure travel arrangements to and from school are organised well ahead 
4. Talk together about feelings your child might experience
5. Organise the new uniform well before the first day of school
6. Learn about school routines and timetables
7. Help your child to develop good study habits
8. Rearrange their bedroom if they need more space, a desk and bookcases
9. Practise organisational skills in preparation for more independence 
10. Discuss emergency and safety issues well ahead