A Parent's Guide to Combating Back-to-School Anxiety

(The following article was penned by guest blogger Joyce Wilson of teacherspark.org)

Anxiety is s term used to describe tendencies of nervousness, worrying, and even fear. For children, there are a number of situations that can cause, as well as exacerbate, anxiety. Schoolwork, peer interactions, and pressure to obtain suitable grades, are all common causes of anxiety among children and youth. Going back to school can invoke a number of anxieties, inducing emotions such as stress and nervousness. As a parent, there are a number of steps you can take to mitigate your child’s back-to-school anxiety.
 
Listen and Watch

If you want to help your child develop positive anxiety coping mechanisms, start by listening to both verbal and nonverbal cues. Be aware of changes in daily behavior, attitude, and sleeping patterns. If you notice something is out of the ordinary, practice active listening to discover the root cause. This process involves listening, asking questions, and encouraging your child to explore healthy coping mechanisms, which includes avoiding drugs and alcohol to help cope with stress. Remember, your job as a parent isn’t necessarily to help your child avoid the source of anxiety; rather, your responsibility is to help him/her work through feelings and develop healthy responses to emotional strain. Additionally, you can help them focus on the aspects of school that are exciting, such as sports, friends, or teachers.
 
Make the Mornings Awesome
 
Homework, lunchtime socializing, and extracurriculars can be enough to make even the most capable adults anxious. If you find your child’s anxiety is particularly heightened in the morning, try to make the morning routine as pleasant as possible. To start, make sure you are not brining unnecessary stress to the morning. If you are grumpy, tired, and ill-prepared for the day ahead, your children will sense it and respond accordingly. Being prepared will also give you more time to sit down with your children to discuss the day ahead. Be sure to take some time to praise your child and offer encouragement.
 
Easing Back In
 
After a few months of rest and relaxation, a new year can seem overwhelming. Instead of starting everything in September, try to ease activities and extracurriculars in slowly. Another great way to ease the back-to-school tension is to plan a few fun activities. Just because it’s September doesn’t mean trips to the lake, pool, or water slides have to stop. Planning for a few fun post-summer exertions can give your children something to look forward to. For parents of teenagers, consider encouraging him/her to do things they like such as seeing friends, going to concerts, or taking a day trip.
 
Organizational Tips
 
When anxiety and disorganization co-occur, children can be left feeling even more stressed, exhausted, and nervous. For children suffering from anxiety, it can be difficult knowing how to get and stay organized. On top of that, disorganization can exacerbate anxiety, thereby creating a destructive cycle. To help your child build organizational skills, encourage him/her to create to-do lists, limit clutter, and plan for each day the evening before. Next, consider investing in a few handy organizational tools. A desk, dresser, and large master binder can all play an important role in organization. For your tech-savvy child, consider investing in a laptop. Laptops are increasingly being welcomed into schools as valuable learning tools and can ensure all homework and to-do lists are kept in one place. The bonus is you can protect your own laptop from sticky hands and spills.
 
Back-to-school should elicit a feeling of excitement rather than stress and anxiety. To ensure your child is off to a great school year, try implementing some of the tips above.