School supply sales, summer reading lists and pre-season sports practices
are all reminders that your vacation is over. For students of all ages,
transitioning back to school can be associated with a host of emotions
ranging from anticipation and discomfort to anxiety and worry. In our
practice, we are often talking to families about how to manage this
back-to-school period. The following is a list of strategies that we have
found to be most helpful in this process.
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Schedules and Structure at Home
: It is essential to maintain structure and routine before and
after school. Planning a regular after-school schedule with input
from your child will support his or her ability to manage their
homework and downtime effectively. -
Sleep Hygiene:
We know that sleep is crucial to healthy emotional and physical
development. Regardless of workload, sleep should be prioritized.
Ensure that your child or teen has consistent and age-appropriate
bedtime and wake-up times even over the weekends. Screens should be
outside of their bedrooms during specified hours. -
Screen Time:
Screens are an inevitable part of your child’s academic and social
life. Discussions about responsible use of social media, limits for
screen time use and the level of parent supervision should be a
continuous and expected conversation throughout the year. -
Managing Anxiety about School:
It’s hard to see our children experiencing unpleasant emotions, but
we must remember that discomfort, and at times worry, is a normal
part of life. Children and teens experience anxiety about the
uncertainty associated with the beginning of the school year, such
as not knowing who their teachers are going to be, if their friends
are going to be in their class or how to navigate their new school
building. They may also experience stress due to the increased
demands of homework, sports practices and an unfamiliar social
environment. Avoidance is often a strategy utilized to cope in the
short-term by both children and parents. Although this strategy
provides relief in the short term, we know that avoidance often
contributes to an increase in anxiety in the long term. It is
important that we convey confidence in our child’s ability to
manage the typical ups and downs of the beginning of the school
year by allowing them to independently negotiate obstacles as they
arise. -
Clear Expectations:
It is essential to be clear about expectations. No matter the
extent of your children’s anxiety, how tired they are because they
didn’t get enough sleep or whether they didn’t complete their
homework, they are expected to attend school every day, on time.
Starting with clear expectations at the beginning of the school
year communicates that school is the child or teen’s responsibility
and, while at times it may be difficult to go, we know he or she
can work through the challenging moments.
Often we get asked how to distinguish typical levels of anxiety from
anxiety that warrants professional attention. Anxiety can manifest in a
number of ways, such as physical complaints, difficulty sleeping and an
increase in irritability. While some of this is to be expected, if you
begin to see drastic changes in your child or teen’s functioning in school,
at home and with friends, we recommend contacting your school guidance
counselor, your pediatrician or a mental health professional in your
community for further assessment.
It is important to remember that children and teens are naturally resilient
and are more equipped than we often realize. Navigating the daily hassles
associated with the beginning of the school year is yet another opportunity
to build self-esteem and stronger coping strategies.
