Back to School: Understanding and Addressing Kids’ Fears.
Warm winds of the retiring summer evenings play with our hair, and around is already felt a fragrance oncoming business routine school. A new school year often brings anticipation and excitement: for most young people, going back to school means seeing old friends, meeting new classmates, greeting familiar teachers — regular chances at fresh starts. Others, however, associate this time of year with feelings of anxiety and fear. These feelings can be triggered by a variety of factors, including dread of the unknown, social pressures, academic problems, and the pandemic’s long-term consequences. Understanding and resolving these worries is critical to creating a smooth transition for children as they begin their academic journey.
Children Going Back to School – Common Worries.
The unknown: The fear of the unknown can be paralyzing for little ones, especially those who are going to school for the first time or moving schools. If they are older, however, fear of the unknown could be getting lost finding their way to class or not liking some new teacher. This fear commonly stems from inexperience and can be minimized with practice.
It may be Social Anxiety: A lot of children are challenged when it comes to making friends and fitting in. Making friends, worrying about who to eat lunch with or being picked on. Introducing discussion can be more difficult for shy or introverted individuals, and this could worsen the social anxiety that they are experiencing.
Academic Pressure: Academic stress is what affects children’s minds the most. It is the fear of not knowing the subject well, or failing in tests and meeting up to their parents’ expectations. This fear can be exacerbated by past academic struggles or the belief that they are not as smart as their peers.
Separation anxiety: Younger children, in particular those starting school for the first time will often cause extreme worry amidst parents. The idea of being in a place that is not the friendly confines and safety net provided by home can be stressful enough, prompting tears or fits and maybe even psychosomatic symptoms like an upset stomach.
Health and Safety Concerns: With the COVID-19, several young people have had way too many fears they never even thought about before. Perhaps they are worried about getting -sick,-wearing masks or adhering to social distancing guidelines. This can be further compounded when a child is dealing with, or someone within the home has an existing condition.
Fear of Failure: Fear of failing is a common problem among school going children. They might worry if they will be able to meet expectations in academics or athletics, among other things. As this fear takes hold it can stop your kids from taking risks and prevents them from experiencing new things, which are both part of the learning process.
Discuss and Combat Back-to-School Fears
Open Communication: Motivate your child to express their fears and concerns. Develop a judgment-free zone for sharing their thoughts. This allows them to feel heard and understand that you get it without attempting to fix everything right away.
Check Out the School: Whenever possible take your child to view his or her school in advance of start day. Getting used to the way things look, the classroom itself, even meeting their teacher may help ease some of that newness dread. Arranging your child’s transportation, class schedules and locker setup can be more than handled on different orientation days or open houses that certain schools will have to help ease kids into yet another new environment.
Role Play: Work with your child to role play different situations he might encounter in school such as introducing themselves to a new friend or asking the teacher for help. This can include empowering children to handle situations of potential conflict or hostility through role-play, so that when they face them in real life they might be less likely to respond with anxiety.
Stick to a Schedule: Routines create some certainty and predictability, which is always helpful when revving up anxiety. Design a morning and evening routine of your child, including homework time & play breaks, before the school starts. Kids with SPD may benefit from doing a little “heavy work” before they leave for school.
Positive Reinforcement: Recognize your child’s efforts and accomplishments, no matter how minor. Positive reinforcement can help people gain confidence and overcome their concerns. Celebrate their accomplishments, whether they are meeting a new friend, answering a question in class, or simply getting through the day without feeling overwhelmed.
Teaching Relaxation Techniques – By teaching your child simple relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or visualization, they can cope with worry more easily. Teaching children how to remain calm in stressful situations allows them to take control over their own fears.
Get Involved: Be a part of your child’s school experience by attending parent-teacher conferences, getting to know the classroom culture via real time volunteering and continuously ask them about things like how their day goes. Your participation shows your child that you are there to support them and enables you to know what issues they may be dealing with.
Seek professional help: If your child’s fears seem overwhelming and constant, call a mental-health provider. A counselor or therapist can provide additional tools your child needs for dealing with anxiety and becoming more resilient.
Starting the new academic year at school is a time for change and with that often comes nervousness. To help ease the transition, parents, teachers and caregivers can be prepared for some of the most common worries kids have —and try to address them before they pop up. Lastly, creating a sense of support behind our children can change their fear to anticipation and have them ready academically and emotionally for this next school year.
