Whether it’s your child’s first day of kindergarten or the start of middle school, back-to-school season can bring a range of feelings – from worry to excitement – for the entire family. As you gear up for returning to school, you can use these tips to help your family ease back into the routines of the schoolyear.
Tips for Back to School
“It’s important to remember that even in the best of times, it’s normal for children to express feelings of sadness, isolation or stress,” said Tyreca Elliott, from KinderCare Learning Centers’ inclusion services team. “Learning how to address those feelings helps us build self-confidence, resilience and independence. What’s important is the way adults respond to children’s stress. Offering comfort, reassurance and assisting with problem solving will help children learn and grow from stress in a positive way.”
As an added bonus, Elliott said many of the most effective ways to help children learn to navigate their feelings work just as well with adults. Consider these three tips to help your children (and yourself) manage emotions during the transition back to school.
Planning Ahead
The fear of the unknown can be stressful. Children who aren’t able to clearly articulate their feelings likely won’t be able to make the connection between new, uncertain situations – like going to school and being around other people – and their feelings. Instead they may become overwhelmed by emotions, which might look like more meltdowns, clinginess or a variety of other behaviors.
- Talk with your children about how they feel about going back to school ahead of the first day of class.
- Ask questions to help them determine why they feel particular feelings when they think about school.
- Work together to solve potential issues. That could mean finding a way to meet your children’s teachers ahead of time, whether virtually or in-person, or practicing introducing themselves to classmates.
Build a Back-to-School Routine
Routines can give children (and adults) a sense of security and structure, which in turn make it easier to cope with big emotions like stress and anxiety.
- Start the routine before school begins. Slowly ease back to schoolyear bedtimes and wake ups.
- Try to stay consistent, and if you need to make adjustments, talk them through with your children.
- Be sure to mention key milestones instead of times, particularly if they can’t tell time yet.
- Make sure your children have opportunities to ask questions about any changes to routines. They may need reassurance before they’re ready to face something new.
Create Special Family Moments
As important as routine is, it’s just as important to prioritize quality time together.
- That could mean a vacation or something as simple as Saturday bike rides or Sunday morning pancakes.
- Plan a family outing or special time together to celebrate completing the first week of school.
Family rituals and celebrations can give children and adults something to look forward to. Quality time together also helps families build resiliency.
Heading back to school can feel overwhelming and bring up a whole host of emotions. With these tips you can help ease the transition and build stronger family ties along the way.
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