Getting your kids ready for different life stages

Your kids are going to go through a range of different life stages, and all of them will be exciting. Some stages will be more important than others, some easier to navigate than others, and some that literally feel like you’re climbing up an impossibly tall mountain. In this blog post, let’s take a look at three of the stages in their lives and how you as a parent can help them.

Life stages include:

1. Starting school

The first thing that you need to think about is when your kid starts school. This event is going to be difficult for both you and your child as you are likely used to being together for a large part of the day.

To help get them ready for this stage, you have got to be able to talk to them about it. Tell them about how much fun that they are going to have when they go, that they are going to learn a lot of new things, and meet some incredible new people. It’s not going to be the easiest thing in the world to do, and it will be equally as hard for you, but it’s something that you have got to do.

2. Time for college

It seems a lifetime away but helping them to get ready for college is another milestone. This stage can be difficult, especially seeing as colleges are now looking for more from their applicants than ever before.

It may even be worth hiring a college admissions coach to help your teen get through preparing for college. There are so many desirable traits that colleges are searching for and falling short on them can make gaining admission a challenge.

As the parent in this situation, though, you are limited as to what you can do. You can encourage them to study hard, push them towards certain extracurricular activities, and so on. But you can’t force them, and you can’t push more than they can take.

3. Moving out

This life stage is significant! Moving out is a big change in everyone’s life. You are no longer going to know your kid’s whereabouts all the time and they won’t live with you permanently.

You can help them by telling them everything that you know about renting or buying a property. Go with them and see the properties they are thinking about, telling them what you think if they ask, based on your experience.

If they need help with moving their stuff in, be there to help, if possible. Also, offer to set the space up as a home, rather than just somewhere to live. That can be a great parent-child bonding experience.

Conclusions on preparing for different life stages

Understanding what to expect and how to navigate big life events will help you both feel more confident in what comes next. It can also help bring you two closer, rather than dividing you over tensions that can accompany big changes. Be there to help them, as they need and want, and support them in whatever way possible.