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Returning back to school after a break can cause feelings of excitement, anticipation, nervousness, stress, or anxiety – for children and for their parents. Even though we often think first of the challenges children face when returning to the classroom, parents have their own back-to-school-worries. There is the stress of getting everyone ready in the morning, the hectic rush hour traffic, the fear of missing out on quality time, and the struggle of balancing the demands of work, the household, and your child's needs. While it might be easy to neglect your own wellbeing in the process, it is now more crucial than ever to remember that you can only take proper care of others if you take proper care of yourself.
Back-to-school stress for parents is not to be underestimated
Many parents look forward to their kids going back to school as it means that they get some of their personal time back. But many parents also fear the return to school as it is most certainly a very stressful time period. While this is even more intense for parents with anxious children, it helps to understand that everyone experiences these emotions to some degree. Knowing that you are not alone in this, can bring great comfort. In addition, here are seven strategies to help parents cope with their back-to-school worries and manage their stress in a healthy way:
1. Focus on the positive:
Your child has found the courage to leave the house, go to school, and do their best to participate in the classroom. These are all major successes that one can be proud of everyday. Others are academic performances, personal growth, character development, and emotional well-being. Practising gratitude and reframing negative thoughts with a positive outlook can help with the back-to-school transition.
2. Communicate openly:
Keep an open dialogue with your child about their feelings and concerns. Encourage them to share their excitement and fears and pay attention to what they say. Sometimes active listening is all that is needed to ease their mind and this positive communication will hopefully soothe your own worries about how your child is doing.
3. Establish a routine:
Back-to-school routines make the transition for the child easier and bring a sense of control to a hectic life. By implementing a set schedule for work, family time, and self-care you will feel more in charge of the situation and less nervous towards the uncertainty of the next day.
4. Prioritise self-care:
Children will often feel anxious when their parents are stressed. To prevent this from negatively affecting their behaviour, parents should prioritise their emotional and physical well-being. This does not necessarily have to be a complicated or time consuming mission – reading a book, going for a walk, or exercising can work wonders.
5. Build resilience:
Practising mindfulness activities that help you to reframe a problem and see it in a new light. To assist you in building resilience it is important to know your strengths and keeping them in mind in challenging times. By having confidence in your abilities and spending time reflecting on the positive things in life you will help build your resilient thinking skills.
6. Find a support system:
Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you feel overwhelmed. You don’t have to go through a hard time alone. Reach out to family, friends, and other people you trust if the stress is getting too much. You can also look to parents in similar situations, help lines, online support groups, or forums as an outlet for your worries.
7. Seek help from a professional:
Seeking social support through talking to friends can be useful for parents to process their emotions and receive advice, but sometimes it is hard to find someone who can relate to the challenges particular to your situation. Professional counselling and training courses, as offered by Parentshop, can provide guidance and tools to cope with emotionally distressing episodes.
Parents can help make the transition smoother for everyone
Going back to school after the holidays is equally exciting and nerve-wracking for everyone. To avoid passing over worries onto their children, parents need to take care of themselves. Through open communication, established routines, and a positive mindset parents will find it possible to deal with stressful moments more easily and be optimistic towards the next school day. However, adjusting to the back-to-school period with a child that struggles from anxiety is not easy. Asking for help, connecting with other parents, and enrolling in training courses held by professionals will help enhance your own resilience and your child’s.
To learn more about our training opportunities or enroll for one of our parents courses click HERE.