Summer can be a glorious time for kids – full of sun-soaked days, time with friends and family, playing and generally enjoying being a kid. The prospect of going back to school can be exciting or terrifying – or both – for a child. Social anxiety, performance anxiety, and generally missing the laidback days of school vacation can all contribute to back-to-school nerves.
How can you, as a parent, help your child to process their feelings and get back to school as positively as possible?
Get Into A Routine
Routines are incredibly helpful for creating a sense of security and predictability. If you can manage it, try to get your child into their new routine before school actually starts.
Arrange Social Opportunities
Just because the endless playtime of summer is over for another year, shouldn’t mean your child doesn’t have friends and playtime scheduled. If they know they’ve got fun playdates to look forward to soon, going back to school can be less upsetting.
Help Them Get Proper Sleep
Sleep can be on an ongoing challenge for parents, whether or not it’s school time. Here again, routine is important, not just with your child’s bedtime, but with meals and wind-down time. It’s worth the effort to help your child get proper sleep, as they’ll function better during the day and feel more stable emotionally.
Identify Anxiety Triggers
The past couple of years have instilled fear and anxiety in our children that we never wanted them to have to deal with. If your child is concerned about getting sick or even about their physical safety, make sure to communicated honestly and clearly with them. Help them to know what they can do to keep themselves safe, and what kinds of protection they (and you) are most comfortable with.
Show Them How To Cope
Kids look to their parents as the model for most things in life. Their emotional responses to situations are no different. You can help your child learn how to cope with stress and anxiety by how you handle these same challenges in your own life.
Be Clear About Your Expectations Of Them
Many kids feel a lot of pressure to perform to a certain level at school. Make sure you are clear with them about what YOUR expectations of them are – if school or their peers are putting pressure on them that you don’t agree with, make that clear to them. Consistency is also key, as it helps your child feel safe.
Going back to school is stressful for both children and parents. If you’re struggling to know how to help your child, schedule a session with Given Guidance Family Counseling today. Our caring team of experienced family therapists will help you and your child have the clarity and tools to deal with the unique stress of going back to school.