Hurrah! The days of juggling morning zoom meetings with teaching times tables have (hopefully) come to an end.
Though many parents will undoubtedly feel a sense of relief and excitement for their little one’s classroom learning to resume, some may also feel anxious and emotional about resuming back-to-school routines after such a long period of dedicated home-schooling.
Whether you’re worried about how your child will settle into a new routine, or you’re feeling apprehensive about your own transition from spending all day together, we’ve spoken to the experts to hear their school advice for parents and children adjusting to life post-lockdown.
Here’s what they said.
Look out for the signs of back-to-school anxiety in your child
Though it’s expected to feel a little apprehensive about returning to school after a long break away from the chatter of classroom, Dr. Amanda Gummer, who is a Child Research Psychologist and Founder of the Good Play Guide, suggested that this typical school anxiety could be heightened this year as, “children’s routines have been more disrupted than ever before.”
She elaborated:
“Your child might not necessarily understand that they are feeling anxious, but there are a few signs you can look out for, including finding it hard to concentrate, waking in the night, crying or being more clingy than usual, feeling tense or complaining of being unwell. Of course, if symptoms don’t go away you may want to speak to your GP”.
We caught up with Cai Graham, a Parenting Coach and Author of the bestselling ‘The Teen Toolbox’, who reinforced the importance of self-care; simple things such as making sure your youngsters are getting enough sleep, eating enough food and regularly exercising are crucial to their mental and physical wellbeing.
A listening ear is a must to understand how they’re feeling
If you’re unsure how your child is feeling about the big back-to-school return, the best thing to do is go ahead and ask!
Dr. Amanda recommended, “talking to your child about their worries and what they can expect on their return to school, rehearsing the routine and giving them some strategies to process and communicate their emotions are all ways that you can turn this experience into a learning opportunity – and this will build their resilience for the future too.”
She also explained the importance of giving your child plenty of opportunities to talk to you about their concerns, that we should, “actively listen to fears or worries and acknowledge them, so your child knows that their feelings matter, and you are always there to lend an ear.”
Cai agreed, encouraging parents to, “open the conversation” and “validate their feelings” to make your child feel valued and heard. The key is to listen; be available and acknowledge that their feelings are real and important to help them to process any worries they might have.
Reintroduce routine – but keep it flexible
As we know from experience over the last year, routines have been near impossible to maintain in all the madness, and yet sticking to a schedule is very comforting and especially stabilising for younger ones. Now that school life is set to return, it’s useful to keep home life predictable and consistent.
Psychotherapist, Andre Radmall, advised parents to stay busy during the day:
“On the first day your child goes back to school, your routine will change massively so have some activities planned that will structure your day. This could be one thing in the morning and one in the afternoon.”
For children, Dr. Amanda reinforced the importance of gently easing your child into their new routine by, “moving everything by a few minutes or so each day so the new routine isn’t such a drastic change.”
Mindfulness techniques can be a godsend for keeping your child calm
Once you understand how your child is feeling about heading back to school, sharing resources and methods to help manage any feelings and worries may be useful.
Dr. Amanda Gummer suggested giving mindfulness techniques, such as square breathing, a try. She walked us through the process, saying to, “breathe in for a count of four seconds, hold for four, breathe out for four, hold for four – as long as needed to calm down. Learning methods like this means your child can cope with their emotions even when they are alone.”
Make sure to address your own feelings and seek support
Don’t forget to look after yourself too!
For parents, Andre says it can be helpful to, “let off steam about your feelings with people who understand, like other parents. There are lots of networks like Mumsnet and others that can provide support. It is also reassuring to parents to maintain good communication with teachers and the school.”
When children are feeling anxious, they usually look to their parents for comfort. Andre continued, “it is helpful if your child knows that you are going to be strong and not fall apart over them going back to school. They need to know you will be a point of stability for them.”
We hope that these expert back-to-school tips for parents and children have helped you to feel more at ease about the big return. If you have any uplifting advice that you’d like to share from parent to parent, we’d love to hear over on Facebook or Twitter!
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