Going back to school can be an exciting time in a kid’s life, but for some, it can be a time of anxiety and stress. What makes it challenging is when your kid doesn’t know how to express their feelings or just doesn’t want to talk about it. As a mom, you play an important role in helping your child cope with back-to-school anxiety. Here are the ways you can recognize this type of anxiety:
Understand the signs of anxiety
Back-to-school anxiety is a type of performance anxiety. It is when a student feels immense pressure to do well in school and meet expectations. As such, children with anxiety can manifest symptoms physically, mentally, and emotionally. For some students, the thought of returning to school after the summer break can be so overwhelming that it causes physical symptoms like headaches, stomachaches, and trouble sleeping. Meanwhile, others may seem to withdraw socially or exhibit an increase in irritability or anger. Just as adults can feel anxious about starting a new job or going on a first date, kids may similarly feel anxious about starting a new school year.
Observe their actions
One way to tell if your child is feeling anxious about school is to observe their actions. If they are having trouble sleeping, not eating normally, or not seeming interested in playing with friends or with their toys, these could be signs that they are feeling overwhelmed. Be more mindful of how they are behaving. Do they seem more irritable than usual or are they having outbursts of anger? If yes, they may be struggling to cope with feelings of anxiety about the upcoming school year.
Look beyond what they say and do
More than just observing their actions and words, you should look beyond the surface and understand what they’re trying to convey. As mentioned, bouts of irritability can be signs of feeling overwhelmed. Avoid reacting to their harsh actions and words. Instead, try to understand them. Remember, kids might not be developmentally ready to verbalize their feelings yet. Knowing this, you should be the one to help them sort their emotions and figure out a way to deal with them.
Talk to them
Of course, the best thing you can do is to talk to them. Get them to open up about how they’re feeling and what, if anything, is worrying them.
If they’re reluctant to talk, try asking leading questions such as:
- How are you feeling about going back to school?
- Are you worried about anything in particular?
- What was your favorite thing about the summer?
- What are you looking forward to most about the new school year?
When you reach out to them, let them know that it’s perfectly normal to feel a little anxious about going back to school. Reassure them that you’re there for them and that they can come to you with anything that’s on their mind. This way, you can get a better idea of what, specifically, is causing their anxiety and address it accordingly. Just simply making yourself available can be helpful for your child in managing their anxiety.
