As summer winds down and the school year approaches, it’s natural for emotions to run high—for both children and
parents. The upcoming transition brings anticipation, excitement, and, for many families, a bit of worry. It’s in this in- between space—when routines aren’t quite reestablished and the unknowns of a new year loom large—that our children are quietly (and sometimes loudly) asking: Am I going to be okay?

They’re not always asking with words. Sometimes it’s through extra clinginess, disrupted sleep, or a sudden aversion to things they previously loved. And in response, we want to comfort. We say things like, “You’ll be home soon,” or “It’s just a short day.” But without meaning to, these kinds of reassurances can plant doubt—suggesting that school is something to endure, not something to embrace.

Young children are expert readers of tone, of expression, of what’s unsaid. They pick up on every bit of our uncertainty. And when we frame school as a place they’ll get through before returning to where they really belong, we send the message that maybe school isn’t a place of safety, connection, and joy. But it can be. And it is.

Children need to know that school is not just “okay”—it’s where they grow, discover, laugh, and stretch into themselves.The shift starts with us. When we speak about school as a place we trust, as a meaningful part of their lives (not a break from it), they begin to trust it too.

So in these final weeks before the first day, take time to notice the story you’re telling—through your language, your energy, your goodbyes. Your calm confidence will help shape theirs. Let them know—through your steadiness, not just your words —that they are safe, they are ready, and they are right where they need to be.