Children experience many transitions

Children experience many transitions: these are changes which can raise various feelings and affect their lives in many ways. Some of them imply a physical movement from one position to another, some are connected to the child or young person’ emotions.
The first physical transition in children’s life is when they start nursery and their routine’ environment changes with new people coming into their lives. Similar transitions happen again when the child starts primary school and later secondary education. Also, migrate from a country to another can be considered a physical transition. This can be exciting for a child but very stressful for another, as migration may imply the possibility to lose friendships and start a new school, learn a new language and understand new habits and culture. Children may eventually feel different to others and sometime the feelings can be very overwhelming to handle.
Some transitions are emotional and come from life’s experiences. For example, the loss of a carer or a family member may cause distress. A child who is experiencing an emotional transition may show anger, frustration, sadness or even aggression. Another emotional transition is represented by a divorce or a family breakdown. Often children may think it’s their fault if their mum and dad are not together anymore. They may begin to hate themselves and they may experience a loss in appetite or sleeping disorders