Parenting Perspective 

Moving between lessons can be a significant source of stress for a child. It requires a constant shift in attention, environment, and social expectations. Understanding the challenge from their perspective is the first step in helping them navigate these moments with calm and confidence. 

Understand the Strain of Transitions 

For a child, moving from one class to another is more than just a physical change of location. Some children struggle to mentally ‘leave behind’ the focus of the previous subject, while others may feel anxious about what is coming next. Before labelling the behaviour as disorganisation, recognise the mental effort involved. A calm transition begins when a child feels emotionally prepared, not just when they are reminded of the rules. 

Build Predictable Anchors 

Predictability reduces the feeling of chaos. Teach your child to use short, repeatable actions before each subject change. For example, they could ‘close the last book, take two deep breaths, say Bismillah, and think of one word for what is next’. These anchors build mental boundaries between lessons. Packing a school bag in the same order daily, using colour-coded folders, and keeping a short checklist visible can also help quieten the mind and replace a sense of hurry with a steady rhythm. 

Model Calm Shifts at Home 

You can practise similar transitions during your family routines, such as moving from homework to dinner or from screen time to prayer. Narrate your own actions aloud: ‘I am finishing my work now. I will take a breath, say Alhamdulillah, and then go to start dinner.’ Children learn more from observing your rhythm than from your instructions. A consistent, calm tone and steady pace will become the emotional template they recall during changes at school. 

Coach Regulation Before Organisation 

If your child becomes restless or moody between lessons, teach them body-based grounding techniques. Show them how to roll their shoulders, loosen their jaw, or do a quiet dhikr, like repeating SubhanAllah three times, before moving seats. This helps their nervous system to shift gears. For children who tend to rush or panic, focus on slowing down the exit from one lesson rather than the entry to the next. Learning how to achieve closure is just as important as learning how to focus. 

Partner With the School 

Inform your child’s teachers about their challenges with transitions. You could suggest a simple cue, like placing a bookmark on the desk to signal that it is nearly time to change lessons. Most teachers appreciate this proactive insight. Encourage your child to communicate their needs respectfully, for instance, ‘It helps me if I can start packing when you say there are two minutes left.’ When adults and the child share a consistent system, the school day feels less like a series of jolts and more like a steady flow. 

Spiritual Insight 

Transitions are moments where discipline and patience meet. Framing them within an Islamic context can help a child see purpose and meaning in these small but significant parts of their day. 

Steadiness as a Form of Discipline 

Attention is an amanah, a trust from Allah Almighty. Help your child to see each new lesson as a new trust. When they close one book and open the next with intention, they are honouring that trust and practising focus as a form of worship. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Israa (17), Verse 36: 

‘And do not pursue (to meddle in matters) with which you have no knowledge; indeed, your hearing (everything you heard), your sight (everything you observed), your conscience (everything you thought), in fact, all of these (your faculties) shall be called for questioning (on the Day of Judgment).’ 

Calmness as a Reflection of Strength 

It is recorded in Sahih al Bukhari, Hadith 6114, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger.’ 

Although this hadith refers to anger, its wisdom extends to self-regulation in all its forms. Moving calmly between lessons, even when peers are rushing or the hallway is noisy, is an act of self-control and a quiet strength. Encourage your child to whisper Bismillah before each transition and Alhamdulillah when they settle into the next class. This simple habit transforms a routine movement into an act of remembrance. 

When you equip your child with emotional anchors, predictable patterns, and spiritual awareness, transitions no longer feel like interruptions. They become intervals of mindfulness, moments to breathe, reset, and reorient the heart towards learning with calm purpose.