Practical tips for beating the 'back to school blues'
With the summer holidays drawing to an end, many children will feel anxious about going back to school. Here, we look at how to spot signs of the ‘back-to-school blues’ and ways to help prepare your child in advance of starting a new school year.
The end of the summer holidays can result in the back to school 'blues' for some children. © Oleksandr P
The good news is, at this time of year, you know that these mixed emotions are more likely, so you can plan ahead and make sure you have in place practical ways to make your child feel better.
Get ahead of the problem by preparing your child in advance
Explain that it’s okay to feel a bit low about going back to school, it’s a completely normal reaction.
Educate yourselves as a family. A lot of the distress children suffer could be alleviated by applying tools and techniques from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
Treat your kids. Have a list of the things your children especially like and treat them when you think they deserve a lift, this will also help them regulate their emotions. You also deserve treats – so be kind to yourself.
If your child shows signs of the blues when school starts, try behavioural interventions first, like re-teaching good sleep hygiene and making sure you have regular family meals.
When talking to an anxious child, relax your muscles and lower the tone of your voice, whether you think there’s a problem or not. Your child will copy you.
Normalise emotions. Explain that stress hormones mess up how we think and feel during a transition. Then explain that we can deal with this by looking after ourselves extra well. This approach, known as ‘psychological education’, is a great way of turning stressful times into learning opportunities.
Get outside. Nature is brilliant at lifting our mood and it doesn’t have to be a long hike in the great outdoors, a local park is just as good! Take a walk in a park or do a mindful meditation together. Mindfulness has been shown to lower stress while improving health and wellbeing.
Dr Andrew Healey, an experienced Sale-based clinical psychologist, comments: "To tell if the back-to-school blues have strayed into more worrying territory, look out for a combination of signs. Often a child can complain of physical symptoms first when anxious or upset, such as feeling sick or headache. Noticing a pattern around the onset of symptoms and going to school is key.
"There might also be avoidance or delay when it comes to going to school or preparing for it and a change in personality - becoming angry, tearful and/or frustrated when talking about school or considering the term ahead."
The classic signs of anxiety in children:
Feelings of nervousness or being on edge e.g., sitting on the edge of their seat, nail-biting.
Not being able to stop or control worrying, feeling like their head is spinning.
Worrying about too many different things at once.
Difficulties relaxing.
Being restless and unable to sit still, constant fidgeting.
Becoming easily annoyed or irritable.
Feelings of doom or as if something bad is going to happen.
Dr Andrew Healey continued: "It's important for parents to talk to children about any anxieties, normalise it rather than make it a big deal. Are there any specific things they are worrying about that can be easily rectified or they can be reassured about?
“Focus on positives where possible, what are they looking forward to about going back to school, is there any way excitement or enjoyment can be built into the process of getting ready for the term? For example, baking some cakes together to take in each lunchtime, or going out to buy some new stationery."
