This 4 Tips To Manage Anxiety of Going Back To School are part of a partnered post.
Transitioning back to class when summer comes to an end can not only be extremely stressful for teachers and parents but also for the children as well. Some anxiety is a normal response but parents should try to become aware of the difference between back to school jitters and the anxiety that might need some clinical attention. There are several ways to tell if a child’s anxiety is a cause for concern. Many children have a hard time separating from their parents to attend school however problems with sleeping alone, refusal to even go to activities without their parents or having large tantrums can suggest a problem and require an intervention to happen. There are some ways to help relieve anxiety for children and I’ll share them below.
4 Tips To Manage Anxiety of Going Back To School
- Arrange A Zoom Meeting – For those students who are nervous to attend school because it’s either their first time going to a larger school, their first time at a brand new school, or remembering what it was like before the pandemic, try to help ease their worries. Arrange a zoom meeting with a familiar peer before the school year begins. Research shows that the presence of seeing a familiar peer during school transitions can improve their emotional adjustment as well as their academics. Having a friend to talk too over Zoom can also help them talk about their feelings, their worries, and ask questions. Similarly, their teacher can also have a zoom meeting with their students to talk about the rules and what is going to be new in the classroom either being there as a group or virtual learning.
- Practice – This is key for helping to manage their stress and yours. Practicing where you will pick up your child from school, where they need to wait for you will also help them know where to go and what to do. Go through scenarios about what could happen if they get lost and where to go if that occurs. Rehearse spending time on the playground or walking to their classroom. This is also the time to practice wearing a mask as well. Make sure that you give them at least a few weeks to get familiarized with wearing it because they will be having it on for several hours throughout the day in their classroom. They can wear it around the house, on walks or even errands if you want them to see that many others in the community is wearing theirs as well.
- Don’t Punish – When it comes to being separated from loved ones, don’t punish your child for thinking this way but reward them with a job well down by attending school or working through their anxiety. Being separated is a big step, especially with the unknown of what might happen. Create a reward activity or prize for them to earn while working through school, assignments or getting through the day. While it might be difficult, the school can also be fun and slowly become second nature as they start to become adjusted and use to seeing everyone wearing masks and practicing this new normal.
- Be Open and Honest – The world is a scary place right now, no doubt, and being open and honest with your own feelings as well as your child can help. Perhaps your child is now nervous to get sick and go to the hospital. The impact on hospitals that COVID-19 has had is intimidating but keep in mind that there are also businesses out there working towards helping make it as less traumatic as possible. A coding company called iMedX who has offices throughout the United States is working closely with hospitals to help train staff, work on more efficient coding analogies, and ensure the revenue cycle functions flawlessly. They are there to help ensure that the facility is collecting all that it should, helping with underpayment reviews, insurance recovery and so much more. The healthcare providers need support to help incoming patients every day which is why having a business like iMedX can let everyone breathe a little easier. It can also give you and your child peace of mind if you were to get sick and need help as well.
While there is no right or wrong answer as to how the school year is going to play out, hopefully, these tips can help ease your anxiety as well as your child’s. Do what you think is best which could be a combination of having your child attend school and virtual learning or all-in with either. We are all in this together so the biggest concern you should have is if you are doing the best for your child. What are some ways you are helping your child prepare for the upcoming school year?
