According to research, 66% of parents were worried about their child starting secondary school.
Worries included them walking to school alone, not always knowing their whereabouts or what they are up to and their child taking the bus alone.
The study by Life360*, which revealed the 30 main anxieties mums and dads share at this important transition point, also showed over half (53%) were more anxious about their child being less safe than they were at primary school.
Other concerns included offspring getting into trouble, the volume of homework involved and the influence of older pupils.
Meanwhile 49% of parents of older children, already at secondary school, said they found it hard to judge what rules they should put in place.
34% agreed that after their child started big school, trusting them to be where they say they will be was the biggest challenge.
Furthermore, after a term or so in secondary school, parents are slightly more likely to stress about whether their child will make friends.
Nearly half (47%) make sure to tell their kids what to do if they're being bullied, and 30% will make sure their bag and school gear is up to scrutiny from their peers.
To help children transition to their new school, 39% talk to them about their own experiences.
Finally, it seems going to secondary school does not have a significant impact on when parents believe kids should get their own mobile phone – with parents of secondary and primary school children both suggesting it should be around the age of 10.
Almost 60 per cent (58%) said they will be monitoring their child's location via a mobile phone by the time they start secondary school, including 32% who already did this when they were at primary school.
Jason from CVFM Breakfast spoke to Sue Atkins, Parenting Expert and Psychotherapist about it. To listen back head over to Spotify Podcasts https://open.spotify.com/show/48yJK7MxxlgzdWeRznEEY9
TOP 30 WORRIES OF BRITISH PARENTS WHEN KIDS START SECONDARY SCHOOL:
- Bullying
- Will they make friends
- How they will settle in
- Whether they'll be happy
- Peer pressure
- The influence of new friends
- Managing your child's anxiety/ mental health
- The influence of older pupils
- How they will get on academically in general
- Walking to school alone
- Whether they'll like their classes
- The volume of homework
- Not always knowing where they are or what they are doing
- School safety
- Whether they'll be a little fish in a big sea
- Keeping their belongings /bag safe
- Increasing pressure from social media
- Whether they'll like their teachers
- They wouldn't have any primary school friends in their classes
- How they'll cope with a stricter behaviour system
- They won't know how to get around the school layout
- Whether the secondary school will make the same allowances for their needs as primary school
- How they'll perform in exams
- Whether the teachers will get to know them as well as primary school teachers
- Taking the bus alone
- Whether their phone will be stolen
- They'll start pushing the boundaries in terms of their independence
- Them getting into trouble generally
- How they'll navigate the school lunch system
- Whether they are responsible enough for their first phone
