BACK TO SCHOOL

From the Desk Of: Mattie Crownover, LMSW

Back to school can be an exciting time for your child, but it can also cause anxiety. As your child is getting back into their school routine this can be a great time to talk to them about how they are feeling about school. Children may be facing significant amounts of change, such as different peer groups, trying out for extracurricular activities, and new teachers or different subjects. These changes can be scary.

Share in your child’s excitement and validate their feelings of anxiety.

Talking about feelings can help kids feel heard and help them process feelings instead of staying stuck in their concerns. It is important to not dismiss these feelings so that your child feels heard and allows them to feel safe to come talk to you as the school year progresses. It can be helpful to have your child write down their feelings. This can help them identify triggers. You can also use one of our favorite tools here at CSS, the problem-o-meter. This can let kids put their problems into perspective and help them prioritize their biggest concerns. Setting problems into smaller more solvable problems can help children to not procrastinate.

The start of the year is also a good time to set goals. Have your kid set 2-3 goals. They can be a mix of social and academic goals. This will allow your child and you to assess the goals throughout the year and see how they are progressing. Setting goals with your child can allow you and your child to work as a team. These goals can help your child feel a sense of achievement by showing them how far they have come.

Not only is your child’s feelings about starting school important but yours as a parent are important too. We can be nervous for our kids to start a new school or reinstitution a routine after enjoying summer break. Being able to identify and name our own anxieties will prevent us from passing them onto our children. Identifying your own stress can allow you to not only manage the stress but also set boundaries on your family’s time and not overbook yourselves. You are your child’s best advocate and support so taking care of yourself is just as important.

Starting a new school year will come with trials and errors. Do not let setbacks discourage you. We look forward to helping your child and you in this school year with your goals.

Call for more information or to schedule an appointment at (972)404-3001.