Back to School Tips
Therapy2Thrive® Pleasanton
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Quick Tips To Smoothly Transition Into School
Return and transition into school will undoubtedly bring stress and anxiety. The new school year will bring a big change to your child’s schedule. Your child will have a lot of emotions about returning to school. They could be excited, nervous, and sad all at the same time. Your child may need help to feel more prepared and comfortable on the first day of school by providing them with a comfort item.
Here are a few tips to smoothly transition into school
- Set a routine now and start practicing the routine.
- Validate and normalize your child’s emotions.
- Prepare them with comfort items.
- Practice relaxation and teach stress management skills now.
Set a routine now and start practicing the routine.
The new school year will bring a big change to your child’s schedule. They might have to wake up earlier, go to bed earlier, eat at different time, be ready to leave the house earlier than they have all summer. Changes in schedule are hard and lead to more emotional dysregulation. Figure out what your child’s routine will be and start practicing it two weeks before school starts.
Validate and normalize your child’s emotions.
Your child will have a lot of emotions about returning to school. They could be excited, nervous, and sad all at the same time. This is normal. You can support your child by listening to them; and whatever their feelings may be, validate and normalize them. For example, if they are worried about school tell them, “It is very normal to be worried about the first day of school. It makes a lot of sense you would feel that way.” Don’t say: “You don’t have to be worried; you went to school last year no big deal.”
Prepare them with comfort items.
Help your child feel more prepared and comfortable on the first day of school by providing them with a comfort item. You can do this by including them in the process of back-to-school shopping. Not only will it get them excited for school but it will help them feel an attachment to the items they bring to school. Allowing them to choose an item or two, even if it’s just a pencil or special eraser, that will be with them on the first day of school can be comforting.
Practice relaxation and teach stress manage skills now.
The start of school will undoubtedly bring stress and anxiety. When we are calm is the best time to learn and practice self-soothing and stress management skills. Pick a few different skills to practice daily as the new school year approaches, that way when your child is stressed the first day of school you can prompt them to use the skill you have been practicing.
Here are links to tools to practice:
By Megan Arrighi-Fulton, LMFT #79863 at Therapy2Thrive counseling center in Pleasanton
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