Getting Ready for Back to School
As the summer heat is still present, it’s hard to think about the approaching fall, but it is time to start considering the return to school for many families. This is a time that can be charged with many large emotions like anxiousness, worry, stress, excitement, happiness or dread. It is important to allow your child to feel valid for having any and all of these reactions.
Here are some ideas that may help to smooth out the return to a school-based schedule. These tips would be appropriate for neurotypical or neurodiverse children; however, they are not specific to every family dynamic. Please take what works and discard the rest. Speak to your therapist for a more detailed and individualized plan about preparing for back-to-school activities.
Toddler and Elementary
Preparation is key with young children!
Talk to your child/children about the changes that are going to be occurring well in advance. This is often done in the form of talks starting in early August, which also serve as reminders that school is going to be starting again. These talks can include drives past the school building and mentions they will be in a new class with a new teacher. You can facilitate these discussions with popular books (like The Kissing Hand) or episodes of their favorite TV program (like Bluey) where this is the theme.Talk about the friends that your child(ren) will see and the potential for making new friends. Review what the daily home-life routine will look like, when bedtime will be, and what wake time will be. Practice this in advance of the first day of school, that way children will have adjusted to these times.
Middle and High School
As children age, the preparation becomes more complex.
Older children can understand the concept of school and the physical demands that their day will present. The parental or guardian role has also developed to be more supportive about the challenges of their social and mental health. Preparing for school in the fall helps your child get ready for switching classrooms during the day, overseeing their own materials and developing executive functioning tasks. Humor is a key to helping everyone in the home stay grounded, so don’t be afraid to be a bit silly!
Bullying
A major concern today is bullying, both in-person and cyber bullying.
The number one tool for children to deal with this is to talk to an adult. Talk to your child before the school year starts to identify a safe adult to approach with concerns like this; it can be an art teacher, the principal, or even the janitor. Whether the child is a victim or a witness, all children of all ages should be taught to speak to an adult at school or at home in any bullying situation. Other actions you can take are to review how your child can respond to the bully in-person or online. In-person, it is important to maintain straight posture and a calm confident tone while stating that they are bullying. Online, it is important not to engage with the bully in writing back insults or hurtful statements.
Parents, you’ve got this!!
Back to school seems like a challenging time, but you and your family can be very successful. This is a time where preparation is the key to success. Reach out to your therapist for assistance in creating a plan for your family to tackle the back to school season!
Additional Resources
https://www.pbs.org/parents/back-to-school