As summer dwindles, your child’s schedule begins to accelerate into high gear. Long and lazy sunny days dotted with spontaneous adventures have now been replaced by early morning walks to the school bus and structured weekly schedules. The transition from summer to school, although one experienced each year, can be a stressful time for your child.
Whether they’re worried about moving into a new school or concerned about the impending academic challenges of a new grade, you may begin to notice anxious responses in your child. Being mindful of encouraging them to practice self-care can help to relieve their back-to-school drop in mood. With the help of your family health center in Arkansas, you can help your child beat their back to school anxiety.
Is your child experiencing anxiety?
In order to identify whether your child’s stress teeters into significant anxiety, research the mental health concern to familiarize yourself with its characteristics. Understanding anxiety and its potential associated symptoms will provide an educated lens through which to observe your child’s mental health. Take note of behavior during various times of their day so you can report to your family health center in Arkansas. Are they significantly more irritable when you’re having a conversation about school? Do you find that they are more fatigued during the day due to a restless sleep? These are all beginning signs of anxiety.
Stop the snowball
Before your child’s anxiety surrounding their new schedule escalates, you should directly address their concerns about returning to school. At first, their responses may be defensive due to their discomfort. When faced with stress, it is normal to wish to ignore it. Be mindful of your tone when responding, as mirroring theirs will only fuel their anxiety. Introduce self-care through possible activities that may make their transition more enjoyable. Having distractions from their current stress will help them not focus all of their time and energy on their back-to-school worries.
Self-care
Self-care comes in all forms and is unique to the individual. Direct the conversation away from school-specific anxiety and towards activities your child likes doing or would like to do more of during their week. Providing your child with an opportunity to partake in practices that are mood-boosting balances out negative stress surrounding their new schedule with something to look forward to. To focus on mental health, find time to go for a walk or hike with your child. The fresh air and bonding time will allow for emotional release. To boost their mood through social activities, encourage your child to get involved with team-based extracurriculars. Whether they opt for a sports endeavor or something more artistic, being a part of a team will provide both social and emotional benefits. Having a group to turn to at least once a week will support inclusivity and stability as they make their transition into a new school year.
Recruit support outside of the home
There is never a thing as too much support, especially if you notice that your child’s anxiety around returning to school extends past general stress. Although practicing self-care outside of their academic schedule is important for managing stress, the anxiety experienced during their school day can be enough to undermine their mental health benefits.
Knowledge is power, and open communication with their teachers and administrators is key to translating your child’s concerns. Communicate with your child’s school to set up a time, whether in person or over the phone, to let their new teachers know about their anxiety. Identify possible areas that may be triggering extensive stress, to help them be mindful of what to look out for during the school day. Opening this dialogue will prevent your child’s anxiety from being misinterpreted as behavioral issues and can prompt the opportunity for additional accommodations.
Family clinic near me in Arkansas
If you are still worried about your child going back to school, contact your family health center in Arkansas. At ARcare, we can help give you more tips and tricks, to ensure that your family remains happy all year long. For more information, give us a call at (866)-550-4719 and see how we can give you the family medical care in Arkansas that you need.