By: Steff Willis
The start of a new school year can feel like a whirlwind.
The lazy rhythms of summer quickly give way to the fast-paced demands of early mornings, packed lunches, and packed schedules.
For many families, it’s not just about sharpening pencils and packing backpacks; it’s about managing the emotional ups and downs that come with big transitions. Whether it’s the jitters of a first-time kindergartener, a teen’s apprehension about high school, or a parent’s worry about the challenges their child might face, back-to-school season can bring a mix of excitement and stress.
Senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Southern Queensland and clinical psychologist, Dr Renee Ireland, has explained that there are many reasons why the beginning of a new school year can be particularly stressful.
She says these include transitioning from holiday mode to new routines, the anticipation of change or social concerns.
“For some people it’s the fear of the unknown,” Dr Ireland said.
“Others may have previous negative experiences and sometimes it’s just developmentally appropriate for teens going into high school or young children starting school for the first time – it’s a bit of anticipatory anxiety for many.”
Renee says while most children’s levels of anxiety will be considered normal, a smaller percentage of families may need additional support for particularly anxious children.
“We don’t want to do is pathologise what is otherwise normal worry,” Dr Ireland said.
“I think one of the temptations is to solve the problems for our children and do lots of reassuring or trying to tell them, ‘No, no, don’t worry about it – it’ll all be fine!’ – but those type of things don’t help and can sometimes make it worse.
“We have to try to find the balance of strategies to support our young person, but not do it for them, with managing their worries.”
Dr Ireland encourages families to get back into regular rhythms and routines to help reduce anxiety, including sleep, mealtimes that mimic the school experience, and periods of focused concentration—for example, reading for a short period of time.
Dr Ireland says it’s helpful to validate and normalise feelings of anxiety around starting a new school year.
“When we hear children and let them know that they’re understood, the anxiety will decrease. [You could say things like] ‘What are you most excited about?’ or ‘What’s worrying about you about school?’, without putting ideas or things into their head, but then reassuring them or letting them know that being anxious is a normal part of it, but ‘You can do hard things. You can do brave things.’”
Article supplied with thanks to 96five.
Feature image: Photo by moren hsu on Unsplash