September often brings a fresh start for children. New classrooms, new teachers, new schedules, and sometimes even new schools can bring a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. While some children look forward to these changes, others may feel nervous, overwhelmed, or unsure about what lies ahead.

Change is a natural part of growing up, but that does not always make it easy.

As parents, grandparents, caregivers, and teachers, we can help children navigate these transitions by giving them the reassurance, patience, and support they need to feel safe and confident.

Change Can Bring Big Feelings

Starting a new school routine can mean saying goodbye to familiar summer days and hello to earlier mornings, homework, activities, and new expectations. Even small changes can feel very big to a child.

Children may not always have the words to explain what they are feeling. Instead, they might become quiet, frustrated, clingy, emotional, or resistant to a new routine.

One of the most helpful things we can do is listen.

Let children know that it is okay to feel nervous about something new. Remind them that they do not have to figure everything out on the first day. With time, patience, and encouragement, new routines can become familiar and comfortable.

Simple Ways to Help Children Adjust

There are many small things families can do to make changes easier for children.

Create a predictable routine.
Children often feel more secure when they know what to expect. A simple morning and bedtime routine can help make the transition back to school smoother.

Talk about the changes.
Give children an opportunity to ask questions and share their feelings. Talk about their new teacher, classroom, school activities, or anything else that may be different.

Give them something familiar.
A favorite book, stuffed animal, family tradition, or special little ritual can provide comfort when everything else feels new.

Celebrate small victories.
Getting dressed on time, making a new friend, remembering a new classroom, or getting through a challenging day are all accomplishments worth celebrating.

Remind them that change does not mean losing what they love.
Sometimes children worry that a new routine means leaving their favorite people or activities behind. Help them understand that while things may change, the love and memories they have with their family remain.

When Change Happens at Home

School is not the only place where children experience change.

Families go through transitions, too. Sometimes those changes are gradual and difficult for everyone to understand.

This is something we explored in our book, Grandpa Forgets, But We Remember.

For a child, having a grandpa who once played with them, cared for them, told stories, or remembered their name can feel very different when dementia begins to change those familiar moments.

A child may wonder why Grandpa does not remember something they shared together. They may feel confused when he asks the same question again or forgets their name. They may miss the way things used to be.

These are big emotions for little hearts.

Just as children need support when they begin a new school routine, they need support when family routines and relationships change. They need adults who can gently explain what is happening, answer their questions honestly, and remind them that even when someone's memory changes, the love between them can remain.

Helping Children Hold On to the Good Memories

When dementia changes a relationship, it can be tempting to focus only on what has been lost.

But children can also learn the importance of remembering.

A photograph, a favorite story, a family recipe, a special song, or a simple activity shared together can help children hold on to meaningful memories.

Even when Grandpa may not remember every moment, the child can remember.

Those memories become part of their story.

That is one of the messages close to our hearts in Grandpa Forgets, But We Remember. Children deserve the opportunity to understand difficult changes while also learning that love, connection, and memories can continue to shape their lives.

Making Room for Connection, Creativity, and Play

Whether a child is adjusting to a new school routine or navigating changes at home, connection matters.

Reading together can create a quiet moment of comfort. Playing together can help children express emotions they may not know how to put into words. Simple family traditions can give children something familiar to look forward to.

This is also why we created the Koselig Kids Club.

Koselig is a Norwegian word often associated with coziness, warmth, togetherness, and enjoying simple moments with the people we love. Our Koselig Kids Club was created to bring a little more of that feeling into everyday family life.

Members receive free monthly activities delivered through our email newsletter, along with coloring pages, crafts, recipes, stories, games, and other cozy activities designed for kids and grownups to enjoy together.

Members also receive exclusive discounts, including special offers on our books and products, along with updates and other fun surprises throughout the year.

These activities are more than something to keep little hands busy. They are opportunities to slow down, connect, laugh, create, and make memories together.

Every Change Is an Opportunity to Grow

Change can be uncomfortable, but it can also teach children important life lessons.

They can learn patience when things do not go as planned. They can learn resilience when something feels difficult. They can learn empathy when someone else is going through a change. And they can learn that they do not have to face difficult moments alone.

At The Uff Da Sisters, we believe some of the most meaningful lessons begin at home.

Through our books, stories, activities, and family-centered products, we hope to encourage conversations about love, kindness, empathy, resilience, and the many changes that are simply part of life.

A new school year may bring a new classroom and a new routine. A changing family situation may bring something much more difficult to understand. Whatever the change may be, children need the same thing: someone beside them, helping them make sense of it, reminding them they are loved, and giving them space to grow.

Because sometimes, the greatest comfort we can give a child is simply being there.

Join the Koselig Kids Club and bring more cozy moments, creative activities, and family connection into your everyday routine.

And if your family is navigating the changes that come with dementia, we invite you to explore Grandpa Forgets, But We Remember, a heartfelt story created to help children and families talk about memory, change, love, and the importance of remembering.