Got Back-to-School Anxiety? 3 Tips to Ease Your Mind
By Virginia Laird
Anxiety is a serious issue and should always be treated as such. Research suggests there are many students who will experience anxiety as they prepare to head back to the classroom. Health and wellness experts suggest there are a few things parents can do to help their child cope (and at times overcome) with these feelings, including:
- Visit the school
- Help your student list the good and bad
- Listen carefully to your student’s concerns
Visit the School
For children who struggle with anxiety, a visit to the school can help settle the mind and ease the stress of heading back to class. Whether your child is new to the school or a returning student doesn't matter. Health and wellness experts advise that anxiety is a real struggle for many students each year and should not be taken lightly, no matter how many times a child may have been to the particular school. These professionals advise that taking the time to make a trip to the school can help open the lines of communication with your child and help them begin to put anxiety behind them.
Help Your Student List the Good and Bad
Health and wellness experts recommend that one way to help reduce anxiety about going back-to-school is to, with your child, create a list of all the wonderful things and undesirable things about school. This list should be completely child led with simple support from the parent. Health and wellness experts advise that discussing the list may help your student move some of the negative things about school to the positive side, which may help improve their excitement for going back to class.
Listen Carefully to Your Student's Concerns
When trying to help their children overcome their anxiety, it's important that parents spend time listening without judgement. It is easy to listen and react to what is being said. The hard part is to sit quietly and listen without responding negatively. This means putting down the phone or other device and letting your child have your undivided attention. This also means allowing them to voice anything without the fear of being punished, belittled, or judged for having their opinions and anxiousness about going back to school.
It is never too soon to help your child begin dealing with feelings of anxiety. Make sure you are dialed in to their needs so that back-to-school can be a happy and successful time for your child.
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