We’re delighted to be back with a new blog post just in time for September, from our guest contributor, Emily! Emily shared some of her personal experiences of heading back to school as well as some helpful ideas for how to manage that back to school anxiety. I know I found this a really useful post as my own daughter transitions into secondary school this week!
Going back to school after a long break can feel daunting, especially if you are moving to a new and unfamiliar environment such as going from primary school to high school, high school to college and college to university. It’s okay to feel worried about this, whether it’s you that’s in school, or your child taking a new step in their life.
I can empathise with children who are anxious about returning to school. I was always a very anxious child and after a long time spent at home with family, going back to school felt like the end of the world. Being shy and introverted really didn’t help either, there are a lot of kids who are loud and naughty and I hated all the confrontation. This was something that caused my mother to be extremely anxious, she used to think things like “What if she gets bullied?”, “What if she has no friends?”, “What if she doesn’t have the confidence to ask for something she needs?”. It didn’t help that me not being home meant she had more time on her hands to sit and worry about me! But a lot of the anxiety that comes from children returning to school stems from fearing the worst, the big ‘what if’s’ that we have no control over, so how do we help this? Here are a few suggestions:
Record your uncertainty in the WorryTree app - this will allow you to come back to your worry later on and record the true outcome. Hopefully after a few recordings you will be able to see that your worries rarely turn out to be reality.
Use distraction techniques that can help you relax, things such as going for a walk or meditating that will take your mind away from other concerns you may have.
Talk to a teacher for reassurance, they will be able to answer any questions you may have and explain how they can support you and your child.
Get in contact with other parents in a similar situation, is there any advice they can give you? Even hearing about someone you can relate to can put your mind at ease.
If your child is worried about returning to school, make sure to give them lots of reassurance. Share positive experiences with them such as seeing their friends or their favourite subject. Make sure to answer any questions they might have to reduce the fear of the unknown, you could even contact a teacher and organise a video call to talk about their concerns. It’s important they are sharing their worries, rather than bottling them up inside.
It is normal for children and parents to feel anxious at this time, it is a new stage in a child's life with a lot of uncertainty surrounding it. If you are a parent who has struggled with back to school anxiety or you have a child that does, feel free to leave a comment on this post sharing your experience or any advice you may have for others who may need it.