Parents and children may be experiencing greater levels of anxiety and stress tackling the transition back to school. While levels of anxiety and stress may be high, parents play an influential role in helping children cope. Hopefully these tips will help encourage a positive back-to-school transition and help to reduce you and your child’s anxiety.

• Have honest and open discussions. It’s important to have honest, factual and open conversations with your child about returning to school; considering your child’s age and maturity level.
• Listen. Take the time to understand what your child is feeling anxious about.
• After spending many long months at home or if students have never been to school before, children may feel nervous about going back to school and being apart from family. Have conversations about going back to school and try to develop tools for your child to feel connected to home, such as writing a loving note that they can take with them to school.
• Let your children know you care. Children absorb their parent’s anxiety, so model optimism and confidence for your child. Let your child know that it is natural to be a little nervous anytime you start something new but that your child will be just fine once he or she becomes familiar with classmates, the teacher, and, school routine.
• Reinforce your child’s ability to cope. Give your child a few strategies to manage a difficult situation on his or her own (breathing exercises, thinking about a happy memory or counting). Maintain open lines of communication with the school.
• Reinforce the positive. Remind your child or teen of the good things about school. And follow up at the end of the day to see how things went.
• Creative activities, such as playing and drawing can help children and teens express and communicate any negative feelings they may be experiencing in a safe and supportive environment. This helps children find positive ways to express difficult feelings such as anger, fear or sadness. 
• Routines can be tremendously helpful. Keep the same bedtime and mealtimes.
• Be available. Your children may react to changes in the school in various ways. Be ready for some behavior changes — such as acting out in younger children and quietness in your teens. Remember that pillow time before bed is a good time to listen to your child recount events and feelings from the day.

Return to Routines

During summer it is easy to get away from the routine we have during the school year. As the school year begins, it is a great time to return to our routines and/or to create new ones.  Here are some tips that will be helpful in this effort. 

• Re-establish bedtime and mealtime routines - Plan to re-establish the bedtime and mealtime routines (especially breakfast). Prepare your child for this change by talking with your child about the benefits of school routines.
• Focus on the positives - It’s important to start the transition back to school by focusing on the positives; being able to see friends and teachers, excitement around a new daily routine and the opportunity to learn new things. 
• Establish a weekly routine. Limit time with technology and t.v. and set a regular reading time
• Get children in the habit of getting ready the night before school. Set out clothes, pack lunch and put the backpack by the front door.
• Keep a large family calendar. Mark each family member’s activities in a different colored pen and keep it in a location that all family members can see.
• Make a plan for after-school activities. Schedule adequate time for homework, play, connecting as a family, and rest.
• Have a backup plan. Connect with another parent or neighbor who can help in case of a morning or afternoon emergency.
• Spruce up a study space for your child. Children work best at a desk or table.  Make sure it is well-lighted and free from distractions.