Pandemic or no pandemic, back-to-school season has always been one of the most stressful times of the year for some parents and kids. With COVID-19 cases seemingly on the rise again, it’s understandable how anxiety can be through the roof for parents sending their kids back to school these days. Kids, on the other hand, may be worried about making new friends, spending time away from family, or keeping up with a schedule after years of learning at their own pace at home. Here are some tips to help make back-to-school season a little easier for you and your kids.
Get them excited about going back to school
One way to encourage kids who are hesitant about leaving home for school is to get them excited about it. Hype school up and tell them about your own fun experiences back in your day. Tell them about wonderful things that could happen while they’re in school so they know what they can look forward to.
Talk about what makes them anxious
What is it that your kids really fear about going back to school? You’ll never know until you ask. Help them vocalize their worries and their fears. If you can, address each one and assure them that school is a safe place for them to learn and make new friends. Sometimes, kids just need to release everything that’s pent up inside of them to let go of their anxiety. At the same time, you’ll be able to understand why they’re feeling the way that they are so you can learn how to help them better. Of course, you won’t be able to tell them that all of their fears are fictional or that they won’t happen. However, you can help them address the issue in a realistic way so they’re better prepared for when it does happen.
Go back-to-school shopping with them
Nothing beats a good session of retail therapy. Shop for back-to-school stuff with your kids instead of doing it alone. It may be a bit more time-consuming but doing this will help keep their minds busy so they can forget about their back-to-school anxiety for a little bit or maybe even replace it with feelings of eagerness and excitement.
Help them get back on their old schedule
Parents often let loose after school ends. Sleep schedules become non-existent and kids are free to eat whatever they like, whenever they like. Now that it’s almost time to go back to school again, though, you’re going to want to start helping the young ones get back on their old schedule. Start reinforcing bedtime schedules and try your best to get on a reasonable eating time schedule as well. This will help them adjust better to school life once classes begins and it’ll make mornings a lot easier for you, too.
Practice safety precautions at home
Worried that your kids will forget about washing their hands before they eat at school? Or that they’ll get too close to their classmates and catch the virus? To help ease your anxiety and help them remember what to do, practice safety precautions at home as if they were in school. Remind them about it daily so that when they’re by themselves in school, it’ll be like second nature to do these things.
Keep up to date with relevant information
Government guidelines regarding COVID-19 change all the time so read up on it whenever you can. If you’re unsure about how to address a certain situation, you can always consult with your child’s school.
Buddy up with other parents
Make friends with other parents if you get the chance. You can create a support network with other parents who are, in one way or another, feeling anxious about the same things as you and find relief there.
You can’t always be in control of your kids. Let them navigate school life on their own and you’ll be surprised at how far they can go and how much they can do. You don’t always need to jump in at the first sign of your kid struggling to finish homework or make friends. Provide support, but don’t solve their problems for them.