Big Feelings, Gentle Endings: How to Support Preschoolers Through End-of-Year Stress and Anxiety

For families and educators navigating emotional transitions

As the school year winds down, many adults look forward to a change of pace, summer break, family time, and well-earned rest. But for young children, this time of year can stir up something entirely different: uncertainty, fear, and anxiety.

We know that for preschoolers, change can feel big and overwhelming. Whether your child is preparing to move into a new classroom, transition to primary school, or simply say goodbye to a beloved teacher, these shifts can disrupt the sense of safety they’ve built all year long.

The good news? With the right tools and perspective, we can help children move through these moments not with fear, but with confidence and connection.

Here’s how you can support your child (or the children in your care) with empathy, clarity, and calm as the school year comes to a close.

Why the End of the School Year Feels So Big for Little Brains

Young children thrive on predictability and routine. For months, their days have followed a rhythm, familiar faces, familiar activities, familiar spaces. As those routines begin to shift, their nervous systems register it as a form of loss, even if it’s not always verbalized.

Some common signs of end-of-year anxiety in preschoolers include:

• Increased clinginess or separation anxiety
  
  
• Mood swings or regression in behavior
  
  
• Sleep disturbances or frequent tearfulness
  
  
• Resistance to change or transitions
  
  
• Physical symptoms like tummy aches or headaches
  
  

These are not misbehaviors. They’re emotional signals and when we understand them, we can meet our children with compassion rather than confusion.

5 Trauma-Informed Ways to Ease End-of-Year Anxiety in Preschoolers

1. Normalize Their Feelings and Name Them Clearly

Children often don’t have the language to explain what they’re feeling but they do feel it. When we name emotions in simple, nonjudgmental ways, we help children understand that what’s happening inside them is okay.

Try saying:

• “You seem a little worried about saying goodbye to your teacher. That’s normal.”
  
  
• “It makes sense to feel a little nervous when things are changing.”
  
  
• “Sometimes I feel that way too when things are ending.”
  
  

Why this helps:
Naming emotions activates the thinking part of the brain and soothes the stress response. It also teaches emotional literacy, a foundational skill for lifelong wellbeing.

2. Create Closure Through Rituals and Reflection

Rather than rushing to the finish line, give your child a sense of closure through meaningful, age-appropriate rituals.

Try at home:

• Drawing a “thank you” picture for their teacher
  
  
• Making a simple goodbye video message
  
  
• Looking through photos from the school year and telling stories
  
  
• Having a “last day” breakfast where you reflect on what they loved most
  
  

For educators:

• Use circle time to revisit favorite memories
  
  
• Let children “gift” a drawing or kind word to a peer
  
  
• Plant something in the garden as a symbol of growth and goodbye
  
  

Why this helps:
Rituals to the brain that something meaningful is happening and they transform uncertainty into a shared, supported experience.

3. Keep What You Can Predictable

Children are sensitive to change. While some transitions (like the end of school) are unavoidable, others can be softened by preserving everyday routines.

Keep consistent:

• Bedtimes and wake-ups
  
  
• Mealtimes and snack rituals
  
  
• Morning drop-off goodbyes
  
  
• Evening cuddles, books, or calming practices
  
  

Why this helps:
Predictable routines offer emotional anchoring. When so much is shifting, the familiar rhythms of daily life help children feel safe and grounded.

4. Use Play, Art, and Storytelling to Process Feelings

Young children often express their feelings through creative outlets more easily than through words. Offer space to draw, build, pretend, or move their emotions.

Ideas:

• Draw “what school feels like right now”
  
  
• Act out a classroom scene with dolls or puppets
  
  
• Tell a story where a character has to say goodbye and talk about what happens next
  
  
• Offer playdough or clay to “shape your feelings”
  
  

Why this helps:
Play and creativity allow children to externalize and explore big feelings in a safe, self-directed way. They help children make meaning without being overwhelmed.

5. Stay Calm and Borrowable

Children borrow our nervous systems. When we’re rushed, frazzled, or visibly stressed, they absorb that energy. But when we stay grounded and responsive, we offer something powerful: co-regulation.

What this looks like:

• Pausing to breathe together when your child is overwhelmed
  
  
• Using a soft voice and open body language
  
  
• Sitting with them, without trying to fix or distract, when they’re tearful or frustrated
  
  
• Saying: “I’m here with you. You’re safe. We’ll get through this together.”
  
  

Why this helps:
Children don’t need perfection. They need presence. Our calm becomes their calm.

What Educators Can Do to Support Year-End Emotional Safety  

Educators are often managing their own emotions at this time of year, pride, sadness, exhaustion, while still holding space for children. Here’s how to offer support without burnout:

For early childhood teachers and administrators:

• Maintain consistency in routines and classroom expectations
  
  
• Involve children in any environment changes (packing, cleaning, decorating)
  
  
• Use visual supports to show the transition timeline
  
  
• Incorporate books, songs, and games about saying goodbye
  
  
• Use tools like Parent App to communicate updates, changes, and reflections with families
  
  

Pro Tip: Plan a “soft ending” where the last day isn’t a sudden stop, but a gentle goodbye supported by shared reflection, rituals, and play.

Helping Families Prepare for What’s Next

The end of the year often leads into another big transition, starting a new school, entering a different classroom, or enrolling in summer programs. These changes can be stressful in their own right.

Here's how to make it smoother:

• Visit the new school or classroom ahead of time if possible
  
  
• Read books about starting school or meeting new friends
  
  
• Use the Parent App to track individual goals and share continuity between teams
  
  
• Keep a “transition journal” or scrapbook with your child to document the shift
  
  
• Offer plenty of verbal reassurance: “Your new teacher will be excited to meet you. And I’ll always be here at pickup.”
  
  

How Parent App Supports End-of-Year Transitions

At Parent App, we know that the final weeks of school are about more than logistics, they’re about relationships. That’s why our platform is designed to make emotional and operational transitions smoother for everyone.

With Parent App, educators and families can:

• Share real-time updates and reflections about each child’s progress
  
  
• Build and send custom learning journey portfolios
  
  
• Communicate important dates, rituals, and transition info
  
  
• Upload photos and videos to celebrate key moments
  
  
• Keep all child records accessible as they move to new rooms or school

We hold the tools, so you can hold the heart of your work.

Final Thoughts: Ending with Empathy

Saying goodbye is hard, even when it’s part of something exciting. But when children are supported with compassion, patience, and clear rhythms, they don’t just survive the change, they grow from it.

As the school year closes, let your child linger in their feelings. Let them draw another memory. Let them tell you about their favorite toy in the classroom, again. These aren’t delays. They’re part of the emotional processing that builds resilience.

Your presence matters. And so does how we end.

We’re here to help you make endings gentle, meaningful, and filled with care.

Interested in seeing how Parent Pay fits your centre?

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