There’s a ton of excitement in the air as our family members, friends and neighbors return to school. Butterflies and anxiety, too – some because of the lingering effects of tragedy and concern about safety. Texas Children’s Behavioral Health experts, Dr. Karin Price and Dr. Kirti Saxena recently wrote a guide offering tips for managing back-to-school stress that can overshadow the importance of reconnecting, experiencing firsts and building resilience.
A few of their tried and true approaches for adults managing their own worries while helping children manage theirs include:
Managing your own feelings first. Children often take cues about how to respond to situations from their caregivers. That’s why it’s important for adults to model flexibility and acceptance of things beyond our control and avoid negative talk as much as possible. This can make it easier for kids to feel confident and brave about returning to school.
Listen when your kids are not talking. Kids’ nonverbal cues can speak loudly – difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite and physical aches and pains are some of the things that may be signs of worries they haven’t figured out how to talk about yet.
Model coping behavior. Parents and caregivers can help children learn to handle difficult situations by helping them to label their feelings. For example, saying things like: “It sounds like you are feeling worried about going back to school.” You can acknowledge that the situation is stressful, while also helping your child understand they are brave and can handle hard things by saying something like: “Lots of kids and families are feeling nervous about going back to school. It may be hard, but I know you can handle it because you are a brave kid who can do hard things. I am here to help you be brave.”
Drs. Price and Saxena encourage parents to seek professional help if their child’s anxiety about returning to school is ongoing, intense, or causes enduring issues with friends, school or family life.
You can find their full guide here for more tips to help you provide comfort and raise healthy, resilient children.