Back to school, how to calm the anxiety of children
The vacations of the smallest are ending. The end of summer is approaching and the back to school. A shock for many children who have to face, after several months of rest and free time, a return to the early morning routine and the absence of travel, leisure activities and a lot of free time. It is not surprising that there is therefore a feeling of anxiety among the little ones.
But we must not allow children to let themselves be overcome by this situation and parents can help their children to face these moments calmly. From the Child Mind Institute a series of tips are offered to prevent the smallest of the house from immersing themselves in this feeling of anxiety.
Do not leave everything for the last moment
In many occasions this anxiety occurs when you realize that soon you will start again school. That is to say, the child lived in a bubble that prevented him from remembering that soon his holidays were going to end and suddenly he sees a day of resuming classes and saying goodbye to the summer. There is little assimilation time and this causes these sensations.
For this reason it is recommended not to leave everything for the last moment. Before September arrives you can remember the back to school, without overwhelming the children too much. A good example is to propose to the students a brief review before the course begins, challenge them as a game to remember everything they learned the previous year and point out how much they will know this new academic year.
You can also start preparing the return to school gradually. For this you can spend a day to check what material is reusable for this new course and which is not. In this way, the school will be integrated gradually into the mind of the child who will internalize through these activities his return to the classroom next September.
Do not insist
It should be noted that we must not insist on these activities, simply integrate them gradually into the smallest ones. Constantly reminding them of their return to school can have the opposite effect: awakening a feeling of anxiety because everything is perfect and even feeling guilty for not doing anything as the date approaches.
You have to remember that children are still on vacation. A time of break deserved and that should be taken advantage of until the last moment. This disconnection must be respected, but without resting on its laurels. Finding the middle ground between responsibility and free time is the key to letting anxiety disappear from children in one way or another.
If in spite of everything the child keeps showing symptom of anxiety that are increasing as the date of return to the classroom approaches, parents can go to talk with teachers to warn them of this situation. In this way, once the course is started, these students will receive extra support from the teaching staff that will help them to return to this routine quickly.
Damián Montero
