As adults, it’s easy to forget that the transition from one school year to the next marks a significant change for children. Parents may have their own emotions around the adjustments required for such a change, like feeling nervous when dropping off our young children for the first time, to our own excitement at reclaiming some productive hours for ourselves in the middle of the day, and anticipation and hope for what our children will learn and how they’ll grow over the year.
Leaning Into Change
For children, the change is amplified, and the transition from kindergarten to first grade can be a major milestone. For many kids, it marks the beginning of the journey into a path that leads to adulthood. It can also mean leaving kindergarten friends behind, moving on from a beloved teacher to an unfamiliar replacement, and even coming to terms with the fact that leaving home to go to school wasn’t just a one-year deal—it’s the new routine moving forward. Once our children make new friends and develop a bond with their teacher, which will hopefully be the case for most, we as parents and caregivers start to relax, and embrace this new change as a natural part of our children’s ‘growing up’ – but that doesn’t make it any easier!
When children feel big emotions around changes to their routine or new milestones in their development, it’s important to give them a place to share and express their concerns. It’s easy as parents to tell our children not to worry and to give them a dozen reasons why their fears will go unrealized, but what they often need instead is a space for their emotions to be heard and validated. It’s normal for them to be feeling nervous!
Eden and Ethan’s Journey
Eden and Ethan Start First Grade gives kids a feel-good story to start to understand their own school journey through our friends Eden and Ethan. They’ll see their own concerns voiced as Eden and Ethan prepare for the first day of first grade, and they’ll also see what it looks like to use color therapy (“Rainbow Power”) to manage their emotions— and to help their new friends too with any problem that arises up throughout the day.
Color Therapy Using Rainbow Power
Color therapy is powerful, and you might be surprised at how intuitively children can adopt it for themselves – even their new friend Michael, who is color-blind. Each color will inspire them to put a positive spin on their situation or tap into their ability to create internal calm. And whether they choose traditional color pairings (like red with confidence or blue with peace) or create their own, they’ll have a wonderful new lens with which to view the world and navigate complex emotions. In my experience, this will serve them—and our children—for the long haul.
If your little ones are apprehensive about change around the corner, whether they’re starting first grade, moving homes, welcoming a new baby brother or sister, or approaching any other situation they may encounter that causes worry, Eden and Ethan Start First Grade is the perfect series of stories to talk them through their concerns and give them the tool of Rainbow Power which will help them own their emotions. You’ll find themes of bravery, strength, resilience, teamwork, family bonds, and, of course, trust in the ability to adopt positive, empowering emotions whenever we need them.
You can find Eden and Ethan Start First Grade, available for purchase on Amazon.com.
