I’m Esther Rantzen, President of ChildLine, which helps 2,500 children every week. If there’s something worrying you, please write to me at the address below.

Back to school…

I am really not looking forward to going back to school. I can’t explain why, as I don’t know. I’ve completed the holiday homework, I haven’t fallen out with any friends. I am just really dreading the new school year. Lucy, 13.

After having time off from school it is normal to feel anxious about going back. Lots of young people feel this way when going back to school after the holidays. It might help to talk to one of your friends about how you are feeling. Is that something you could do? Also, thinking about what you are looking forward to in your new school year, might help you focus on the positives. You could have a look on the ChildLine website and maybe leave a comment on the message board where other young people can read your comments and reply back. You can find this at www.Childline.org. Good luck.  

How will I cope?…

Help! I am starting secondary school soon and I am worrying about the schoolwork, homework, older kids. Everything. How can I cope?

It is a very scary feeling moving to a new secondary school and there will be a lot of other young people right now feeling the same as you. There are so many new things to think about and adapt to and it is natural to feel anxious. Is there anyone you know moving schools with you? If so you could think about arranging to go together on your first day. If not then you can take that chance to make some new friends. Remember that the teachers will probably make an effort to make your experience as easy as possible as everyone will be feeling anxious. Also, you will most likely be eased into your workload and this will happen gradually over time. If you want to talk about this further please call ChildlIne free on 0800 1111. Take care and good luck. 

New school!

We have just moved house and I will be starting a new school in Year 9. How can I make new friends? Joe, 14.

It can be difficult going to a new school and many young people worry about making new friends. There are lots of ways you could try to make new friends. Some of these
might include: telling a teacher you would like to be paired up with someone to show you around, talking to the people you sit with in class, maybe asking them if you could go to lunch with them, and also seeing if there are any arranged lunch clubs at your school which you could attend. Just remember to stay confident and, if you have to push yourself to speak to new people, even though it might be difficult, it will be worth it in the end.
Good luck with your new school and remember that it’s an exciting time, so enjoy it! 

Staying Safe

Now that school has started, we are all out and about a bit more – travelling to and from school, staying behind for sports and homework clubs and going out with our friends on the weekends. As it now gets darker earlier, it’s important that we all stay safe when out and about. 

If you are walking make sure you follow basic road safety advice. This includes only crossing the road at traffic lights and pedestrian crossings and also watching out for cyclists. If you’re staying late at school for after school clubs, make sure your parents and carers know and tell them what time the club finishes. That way they can make arrangements for you to get home safely. 

Similarly, if you are out and about with
your friends at the weekend, or you’re in a rush to go to meet them, it seems like your parents and carers always keep asking the same annoying questions – where are you going? Who are you going with? What time will you be back? They only ask these questions because they care about you, and they only want to know that you are being safe. Always try to keep enough credit on your phone so that you can let your parents know if you’re running late. 

As you get older, your parents will start asking these questions less, because they will feel confident that you are keeping safe when out and about. If you show you can act responsibly, you will win their trust.