Back to School Counsel for Parents
Help your child navigate the transition from summer to school with these expert-backed mental health tips for parents. Learn how routines, sleep, and emotional support can set your child up for success this school year.
From loosely-structured days to a schedule demanding daily, physical and mental presence in the classroom, the transition back to school can be jarring. And that’s as much for children as it is for parents! The approaches suggested below reflect your child’s first exposure to mental healthcare.
Do as I say, and as I do.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorses a group effort when it comes to the family adjusting to a new academic year. Parents who lead by example and follow their own adjustment rules will set up everyone else for success.
Create a Back-to-School Routine
One or two weeks prior to the first day of school, psychologists advise parents to initiate a routine to practice. Involve the children in making some reasonable decisions in the process, for buy-in and autonomy. The routine will include adhering to school night bedtimes and morning wake ups, packing lunches/backpacks, and organizing supplies. Planning ahead can help kids know what to expect and, as a result, reduce stress in the morning. Making each child a check list of responsibilities is another tool to empower them (and free up parents!)
Equally important elements in the family’s routine are sleep health and good nutrition.
During this practice time, children may begin to express concerns about all the elements of the new year; other children, teachers, dynamics, getting to school, the school building itself, being away from home. The American Psychological Association (APA) suggests parents check in with themselves first, to model calm. Because children can pick up on their parents’ stress, adults need to manage their own emotions.
“A child is no calmer than their least-relaxed parent.” – (Child Mind Institute)
Being accessible to your children, letting them talk, listening to them and empathizing with their feelings lets children know they’re heard, and it builds resilience to master their world. If there are previous, positive school experiences to draw from, they can be reminded of those successes too.
Working together to solve potential issues or situations they’re worried about can also build confidence. Parents cannot foresee every angle of their child’s school experience, but strengthening some age-appropriate mental acuity in sons and daughters will go a long way toward helping strengthen our kids’ emotional and mental health. These tips are so basic and accessible, we can actually be our kids’ first mental health counselors.