The given excerpts originate from psychologytoday.com and the cdc.gov.
The start of a new school year can mean going back to school after a long break, or attending school for the first time. A new start often means lots of changes, new routines, and meeting new people.
Young children are often wary of strangers and want to stay close to their parents and other familiar and trusted caregivers. Until they are old enough to talk clearly about their feelings, it’s hard to explain to them that a new caregiver is going to protect them, which means it takes time for children to get used to new people.
School-aged children who are sensitive or easily worried, or those who have developmental delays, may need extra time to adjust.
Parents also often worry about their child making the transition, and it’s easier for parents to keep calm and be reassuring if they know their child’s teacher and feel comfortable with them. Parents can help their children with the school year transition through considering the following points:
1. Anticipate. Communication about the start of the school year should begin before the event itself. Beginning in early - to mid -August, parents should begin the conversation about the beginning of school and its possible stresses by asking their children about what they anticipate in the coming year…academically, emotionally, and socially. In their own words, parents might ask their children what they hope for and is there anything that they fear? What are they looking forward to and what do they worry about?
2. Communicate. The most important tool for easing the back-to-school transition and helping children manage their stress is communication. Keeping an open channel of parent-child communication from the beginning right up until the end of the school year is key. Children should feel free to talk about their hopes and their disappointments, their successes and failures, their joys and their anxieties, all with the confidence that their parents can handle whatever they hear and will respond without undue anxiety or reproach. Accept whatever your children are feeling and then move on to helping them learn how to cope.
3. Normalize, when appropriate. The beginnings of new experiences are often hard, at school, at work, in relationships, and in community activities. It is normal for children to have fears and it is normal for transitions to be rough. Letting our children know that this is so and that we have faith in their ability to cope is a good foundation for subsequent action.
4. Building your child’s Coping Tool Box. One way to talk with your child about how he or she can cope is to conceptualize this as a coping toolbox. Here are a few recommended coping tools that may aid your child in coping:
Asking for help if and when needed; taking a deep breath; thinking positive thoughts; removing self and getting a sip or water when stressed/overwhelmed reaching out to and sharing feelings with teachers, administrators, the school counselor, or trusted adult in the building.
Parents can:
Make sure their child has a daily, predictable routine, with regular times for healthy meals, naps, and night sleep at home. Having a rested body and knowing what to expect at home helps children cope.
Connect with other parents who have children in the same school and can provide information and make them more comfortable with the school.
Talk with teachers about the best way to separate from their child at the start of the day—brief goodbyes are often best.
Try to stay calm and reassuring during transition—using a calm voice, with a relaxed face and body to let their child know that they wouldn’t leave them if the child were not safe and protected.
Talk with their child about what to expect and help them with strategies to manage stress and cope with worries.
Make sure their child is caught up on well-visits with their healthcare provider and is up to date with recommended vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, to ensure that the child is healthy and well protected.
If you would like more information regarding tips and strategies to help your child adjust to the school, please feel free to contact our school counselors at 240-740-6770.
