16/09/2020
Tips to deal with Back to School Anxiety
As schools reopen in Pakistan, many children and parents are facing a lot of stress and anxiety, and surely why wouldn't they be, after all this coming back to school is far away from anything but normal.
And just like a normal back to school feeling, when children feel anxious about their new class, new teachers, this back to school feeling is a little more than that.
>Having to talk about death in the family, job losses, and other unfortunate incidents in the family.
After all schools are reopening after 7 months, and everyone has their concerns and fears.
So what does anxiety look like in children?
>Many children worry that their lives will suddenly change overnight, and they find it difficult to cope up with the new routine.
>Many children are worrying that they are lagging behind in their academics, and will not be able to catch up.
>Many are stressed about the fact, that they will transfer the disease to the elderly in their families.
>Many children worry that they will not be able to follow SOPs effectively and also they don't feel confident that their school administration will follow SOP.
>Having to talk about death in the family, job losses and other unfortunate incidents in the family, is also a cause for concern.
These are some major stressors that a lot of children across the world are facing, and there maybe even more, however, the way families provide react during these trying times will definitely make a difference.
What you can do as a parent to help your child cope with back to school anxiety
>Have a lot of discussions with your child about getting back to school
>Ask your children to write down three things they are looking forward to being back to school.
>Also, tell your child that even you feel worried but you are also preparing for the future.
>Avoid discussing news with your children, but do keep them updated about the importance of following SOPs.
>If your children are finding it difficult to cope with their academics, provide ample support, and don't expect too much!
Remember parents, this year is DIFFERENT! And we have to implement new strategies in our parenting to make the Back to school transitions as smooth as possible for our kids.
