The summer holidays are drawing to a close! With schools across the UK opening their doors for the new term next week, many children could be feeling anxious and overwhelmed. Everyone’s school experience is different- for some the end of the summer holiday and seeing friends everyday will be exciting, but for others, the thought of returning to the classroom can be daunting.
Whether it’s starting a new school, entering a new year with new classmates or just the change from the relaxed holiday vibe, there can be lots of stresses around this time. They can range from making friends to exams and separation anxiety. Children who learn and think differently can worry about keeping up or fitting in.
Signs your child might be anxious about returning to school
This week, leading up to returning to school, your child may start to show a change in attitude. You may notice that they seem slightly distracted or a little down. There’s a chance that your child could be getting anxious about going back to school. Here are some signs to look out for in your children:
Complaints of stomach-ache. Often parents don’t put this down to anxiety, but it is a very common symptom in children who are nervous about something.
Look out for problems with sleep. This can involve a change in sleeping patterns or difficulty sleeping.
Your child is more reserved than usual, for instance if they’re quiet at dinner time and around friends.
An increase in the frequency or intensity of tantrums could indicate that your child is struggling with anxiety.
How to talk to your child about their back-to-school anxiety?
If you do notice that your child is anxious this week, it is important for them to talk about their anxieties about school in order to manage these feelings. Let’s take a look at the ways you can talk to your children about their anxieties. They will all help foster a healthy relationship with your child and their mental health.
Show understanding and remind them that they’re not alone. Struggling with anxiety about school can be an isolating experience for children, so keep reminding them that you’re there to help them. Relate to their struggle and explain that you’ve also experienced it. Saying something as simple as ‘I believe in you and I’m here to help’ can give them the confidence to tackle their fears.
Ask them ‘what do you like about school?’. Talk about positive memories from previous years and remind them of previous achievements such as a performance or gold star. Ask whether they’re looking forward to seeing their friends or their favourite teacher.
Celebrate wins and reward your children. For example, after a day at school, you could make that evening special for your child - pick them up from school with their favourite snack, or if it's still sunny (hard to say in England!), you could take them out for an ice cream.
Work together to create coping strategies. You can introduce strategies to your children and discuss their thoughts on them. You could ask them ‘how can I help make going back easier for you?’. They may respond with asking for a snack or being walked to the classroom for the first few days. Next, we’ll suggest some coping strategies that can help manage their anxiety.
How else can you help your child manage back to school anxiety?
Create a routine before school starts
If you wait until the last minute to change schedules and routines, some children will feel more anxious. So, it can be useful to start to adjust to the school routine in the week before school begins. You can practice morning and evening routines; wake up times, bedtimes and mealtimes.
Setting up a playdate for your child and a classmate before the school year starts can be good social preparation. It can also be an opportunity to talk with other families about their own back-to-school struggles and successes. Finally, it can be useful to prepare school supplies, organise your child’s backpack in plenty of time and get to know their schedule if possible.
Practice mindfulness together
If your child is feeling anxious, it can be very helpful to learn mindfulness techniques together. In the next week leading up to school, you can introduce your child to mindfulness. This could help reduce anxiety before the school term begins as well as teaching them techniques to use at school. Mindfulness encourages focusing on the present moment rather than the future, helping children manage anxiety related to starting school again. Practicing mindfulness with your children can also help them observe their feelings of anxiety without judgement, rather than being overwhelmed by them.
Here are some ways to use mindfulness to help with back-to-school anxiety:
Focus on breathing: Focusing on the sound of their own breath and the motion of their bellies rising and falling helps children learn to be in the present moment. Start with a couple of breaths in and out and add to it as your child becomes used to the idea!
Create a mindful bedtime ritual before school: An example of a mindful ritual that will set your child up for the next day of school is a gratitude meditation, sharing the things they are grateful for.
Be mindful on the walk to school: On the walk to school, take a few minutes to be silent with your child. Pay attention to what they can hear, see and smell, from freshly backed croissants to the wind rustling the leaves. Discuss your observations for the rest of the walk to the school gates.
Our Stix remote activities introduce children to all these mindfulness exercises and more. They cover fundamental skills to help them manage intense feelings and emotions such as back-to-school anxiety. Give them a go to prepare your child for the term ahead!
Healthy habits
Try to make sure that your child is getting good sleep, balanced nutrition, and regular physical activity during this week leading up to going back to school as well as throughout term time. Try to start your child’s school day with a balanced and nutritious breakfast giving them good energy levels throughout the day. Also, a few days before they go back to school it can be useful to set the alarm for the time, they’ll have to get up to, so their sleeping pattern is well adjusted.
Going back to school can be tough for many children, but with the right support they can kick off the upcoming term on a positive note. By using this week before the beginning of school to create a reassuring environment, learn mindfulness and stick to healthy routines, you can set them up for a great year ahead. Enjoy your last week of the summer holiday, and we hope your children are looking forward to the exciting start to the new school year!
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