3 Tips to Manage Back-To-School Emotions

There’s no doubt that school supplies, sneakers, and carpools are part of your back-to-school checklist. But is your child’s mental health on that list, too?

Prioritizing physical and mental health is an important part of preparing your child for the school year ahead. Here are a few ways you can help your kids readjust to a new fall routine.

1. Instill Confidence and Validate Concerns

• Recognize the challenges that contribute to heightened anxiety for kids returning to school. Encourage them to verbalize their thoughts and concerns.
• Do not dismiss your child’s feelings. Find out what is anxiety-provoking and talk about how to troubleshoot and problem-solve before school starts.
• Remind your child that many kids put up a “brave façade,” but feel the same insecurity and sense of anxiety they’re feeling.
• Rediscover the hobbies and activities your child enjoys. This helps them establish a place in their world and gives them a sense of belonging.
• Help your child develop coping skills. Teach them how to engage in shared decision-making and accepting other points of view.
• Provide your child with honest and factual information. If needed, help them distinguish between reality and rumor.

2. Prepare for the Impact of Social Media

If your child has access to Facebook, YouTube, X, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and now AI and ChatGPT, it’s important to understand the impact apps and games have on a child’s mental health. Don’t wait until you have a major concern or you’ve lost your child to a virtual world. Be proactive and talk to them about social media.

“Social media platforms and games have become increasingly influential and pervasive,” says Jennifer Carpinteri, LSW, a licensed social worker at Atlantic Health System. “Anything more than three hours a day is excessive and may be harmful to a child’s mental health.”

Jennifer also cautions that if social media is interfering with homework or socialization, or if your child’s mood changes after spending time on the apps, it may be a sign of online bullying or unhealthy comparisons to others.

3. Stop Anxiety in its Tracks at School

Children take cues from their parents about how to respond in stressful situations. Here are a few calming activities children can rely on at a time when they’re feeling anxious.

• Deep breathing lowers the heartrate and blood pressure and helps the body relax.
• Grounding with five senses brings calm by focusing on things a child sees, hears, feels, smells, and tastes.
• Use numbers by counting backward from 100, or for an older child, count backward by fives from 100.
• Hold sensory tools like a stress ball, fidget spinner, or something appropriate for the classroom.
• Use positive affirmations that children can say to themselves when they feel anxious.

Jennifer says, “Feelings are like waves, they come and go, so remind your child of a time they overcame difficult emotions. This will be incredibly reassuring.”

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988
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