The start of school is always a stressful time for parents and children. Children are nervous about what teachers they will have, whether their friends will be in classes with them, and how difficult their new classes will be.
Parents share similar worries for their children but also worry about uniforms or new school clothes and supplies, transportation and time management, homework and grades, and more.
Open and compassionate communication between parents and children is a great way to help everyone work through their anxiety about the upcoming school year. Parents can start by asking their children, “What are you nervous about or concerned about for this school year?” Even if their children don’t want to respond at that moment, parents can use this time to express some of their concerns and anxieties and consider aloud how they might handle those feelings.
This conversation opportunity, if nothing else, models for children how to think about and consider their fears and concerns for the future. Seeing a parent model working through these things calmly and openly sets a tone that children can emulate as they grow up.
While every school year is a new start, it is not always a welcome start since not everyone loves school. Even if students like school, they don’t like everything about it. It is important to talk about these things, too, and consider a plan for dealing with the things they don’t like. Parents, too, will have to contend with things they don’t like as the school year approaches. Is it working on homework with one’s child or simply nudging an unmotivated child to get work done? Or maybe it is a new transportation issue that is going to be a headache in your life and you’re not looking forward to that?
While a new school calendar in August can be exciting, it can also feel daunting, so take the time to talk with children about the fears, concerns, likes, and dislikes that come with every new educational year.