Motherhood: Busting Back-to-School Stress

By Mary Jane Bogle Back-to-school conjures all kinds of emotions — for kids and parents alike. Busting Five ways to help your child transition to the new school year with confidence Back-to-School Stress While some kids approach the new schedule, classroom, teacher, and friends with excitement, others experience real anxiety about all the upcoming changes.

As a parent, you play a crucial role in helping your child face this uncertainty. Of course, no one can alleviate every possible concern or smooth over every obstacle, but you can take an active part in preparing your child for the best possible outcome. Here are five commonsense steps to help your child navigate the return to school with confidence. Step 1 – Schedule a meet and greet. See if you can arrange to meet the new teacher before school starts. While this may not be possible in every circumstance, having your child send an email to the teacher and possibly receiving a response can establish a connection before the first day of school. If the school and/or teacher offers a virtual tour of the classroom, join in. Your child’s ability to visualize himself or herself in the new space will go a long way toward calming fears on the first day. Step 2 – Establish good routines now. Dealing with stress can be extra difficult if the child is adapting to a new sleep routine and morning schedule at the same time. Getting everyone back on track two or three weeks before school starts, with an established bedtime, early morning wakeup, and healthy breakfast, will lay a good foundation of physical health before any stress arises. Step 3 – Discuss change as a family. Sometimes, just talking about the upcoming change, and revealing how you handled a difficult situation at school, can set the example for your child. For very young children, consider role playing the moment when you drop them off for the first time, going over how to greet the teacher, where to put the backpack, how to find a seat and greet new friends. And be sure to tell your children some of your most positive memories from your own school days. Step 4 – Consider asking for a class roster ahead of time and scheduling a playdate with one or two classmates before school starts. If that isn’t an option, at least schedule time with a variety of friends who might be in your child’s class. Keeping those connections over the summer will make the transition back to school more comfortable. Step 5 – Affirm any remaining anxiety, assuring your children that feeling anxious is perfectly normal. Then begin to problem solve with your child. Run through possible scenarios that may be particularly concerning and help your child come up with a way to address the situation in a positive way. Offer encouragement and kindness, but let your child develop the solutions, which can build confidence when the real event comes.

Taking these commonsense approaches to the start of a new school year can go a long way to helping your child think about back-to-school in a positive light. Even better, they will set the tone for all the adventures yet to come. a photos:shutterstock.com