When kids experience anxiety about going back to school, it can have an effect on parents as well. It seems like there’s nothing you can do, and the closer the first day of school gets, the more miserable parents and kids feel. Some practical tips on how to ease this anxiety, though, can help alleviate the back-to-school fears. Here are some ideas.
Try to Understand
Maybe you didn’t ever suffer from this kind of anxiety as a child; or maybe you did, but you still just want your child to get over it. However, just getting annoyed and telling your child to get over it is not necessarily productive, and may actually make anxiety worse.
Psychologists recommend a bit of understanding – while the anxiety should not be “calling the shots,” the fact that your child is feeling very real fear should be respected. Your child needs some coping mechanisms, and that means you need to address the fear rather than denying it.
Putting Things in Perspective
School can seem big and scary to a child. Psychologists recommend “putting the fear in its place” – identify the fear and give your child power over it. Give the fear a name, such as the Worry Worm, to help your child know when it’s the anxiety talking, not reality.
Tell your child that the Worry Worm says things that aren’t true (something bad will happen to me if I go to school), but? your child can tell the Worry Worm to back off because he or she knows the truth (you’re safe at school). For older kids and teens, you can identify the fear in a more age-appropriate way.
Know Your Teacher
It can make all the difference if your child knows their teacher. Try to set up more than one meeting with the teacher before the school year starts, so your child will be going to see a familiar face. Take a tour or two of the school and the new classroom, too.
Therapy
It’s possible that your child may need therapy to help overcome his fear of going back to school. Your child’s teacher has probably seen this before, and may have references for you. You could also ask your family doctor or pediatrician for a referral to a psychologists and/or therapist. If you choose to go the therapy route, it’s a good idea to start a month or more before school starts, and perhaps continue the therapy during the year.
Be Confident
Sometimes, parents can inadvertently “feed” their child’s anxiety. If you are anxious about your child’s anxiety, it can make the situation worse. Try to be confident in your child’s ability to make it through the school day. While understanding your child’s feelings is important, inflating them is not. Let your child know she can do it by being confident and decisive in leaving her.
Saying Goodbye
Some experts recommend a “goodbye ritual” to help ease transitions back into school. This can help a child feel more secure – if you say goodbye the same way every day, then perhaps your child will be more confident that you will return the same way, too.
Try coming up with something unique to your relationship with your child – a special handshake, phrase, or promise for later in the day (just make sure you follow through on any promise).
Great article! My little guy is so anxious about school!
MamaBreak recently posted…8/28 Daily Steals
I remember the days my son was overly anxious about returning to school. This is a great article and touches on each of the things that could cause the feeling. Thanks for sharing
Sheila M Bell recently posted…Red Hat Happy
I love the various articles and post that you do about dealing with life and children. It is great information.
great post! starting school can be a very anxious time for kids. a new class, new teacher, new friends, it’s a lot to deal with for some!
Malia recently posted…Happy Future USA Baby Skincare Products Review and Giveaway
These are some great tips.
Patty A recently posted…$400 Mia Mariu Giveaway
Great post! This has some really helpful tips. Thankfully our son had no problem, but a friend of mine’s has real bad anxiety. I will share this with her!