Easing Your Child’s Back-to-School Worries
Ali is a psychotherapist at the Centre for
Interpersonal Relationships. She provides assessment and treatment services to
children, families and adults in her private practice.
Lots of kids (and parents) have mixed feelings
about the start of the school year. It can be really exciting getting ready for
school: getting school supplies, new clothes and looking forward to seeing
their friends. However, it can also cause a lot of anxiety for many kids,
whether they’re starting a new school or not. Taking the time to talk through
their anxieties and fears is the few weeks before school starts could make all
the difference. Finding out what they’re nervous about – whether it’s meeting
the new teacher, making new friends or finding the bathroom when needed, it’s
all important to them.
Try the following tips to further ease back to
school anxiety.
Make a Plan
If your child is starting a new school, a tour
around the campus can be a simple way to ease the first-day jitters. Make sure
they know where their classroom is, their locker and especially the bathroom.
If you get a class list before school starts, arrange a get together with one
of the kids in the class before school starts — first-day jitters are less
jittery if there’s a familiar face in class. Teaching anxious middle-schoolers
how to use their lock, talk about whether they will be buying lunches or brown
bagging it, even sending your child’s teacher an email introducing yourself and
your child can help.
Remind Your Child of the
Fun They Had Last Year
Point out the positive aspects of starting
school: It will be fun. They will see old friends and meet new ones. Try to
refresh their memory about previous years, when they may have returned home
after the first day with high spirits because they had a good time,
Address the Anxiety at Home.
Talking about the different things that are
causing them some worries and even role play out some of the potentially
stressful scenarios your child may encounter at a new school — making friends,
encountering older kids and encounters with strangers — may help ease their
fears.
Get Back Into Routine
Anxious kids can feel soothed by a familiar
routine. Prepare kids for a new routine by organizing your house in a
back-to-school way. Get their school supplies ready, talk about what they want
for lunch on the first day, help them decide what to wear on the first day. If
possible, start the back-to-school routine a week or two before school starts.
Make sure your back-to-school routine includes plenty of sleep and help your
child get back on track with an earlier bedtime and wake-up time.
Read more about our Child, Adolescent & Family Psychology Service.
Read more about our Child, Adolescent & Family Psychology Service.
