Whether entering kindergarten or attending high school for the first time, most children and teens approach the school year with mixed emotions.

Kids may worry about whether they’ll fit in, get along with their teachers or do well in their favorite sport. Plus, the abrupt change from summer’s more flexible schedules to highly structured school routines can create additional stress. Here’s how parents can help ease the transition.

Calm Late-Summer Nerves

It’s normal for kids to feel nervous about the coming school year. For younger kids, anxiety might be expressed through increased clinginess and tearfulness or even stomach symptoms and headaches. Older kids may be more irritable or withdrawn or have trouble sleeping.

To help your child, open up honest conversations about what they’re feeling. Recognize their emotions but be careful not to make them more intense. You might say, “The start of the school year can be scary, and that’s understandable.” As they express their fears, talk with them about times when you’ve had similar thoughts, feelings and experiences.

Visit the School Together

Make the return to school a positive, family experience. If the school has an open house before the first day, you can help your child feel more confident about the coming year by walking them through their school schedule, helping them find their classrooms or practicing their locker combination.

Both you and your child’s teachers want what’s best for your child, so talk with the teachers about your child’s interests and needs.

Warm Up to Routines

Over the summer, you may have let sleep schedules slide. To get kids ready for set bedtimes and wake-up times, start transitioning them to a school-year sleep schedule a few weeks before the first day.

Begin by moving bedtime and wake-up time 15 minutes earlier. Continue shifting both times every few days so that your child is fully adjusted by the time school begins.

Kids are comforted by structure at home. Routines – consistent sets of habits and tasks completed at particular times – tend to keep the whole family on track and worry-free. The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation recommends setting up your family’s school-year morning and evening routines a few weeks before the first day. Then keep those routines in place as much as possible.

Develop Healthy Habits

Healthy habits can reduce school stress by lifting kids’ energy and mood. Always start the day with a healthy breakfast. Breakfast gives your child the energy to make it through the morning and helps them concentrate better. Hard-boiled eggs, peanut butter, fresh fruit, yogurt and whole-grain toast or muffins are a few quick options.

Help your child stay active outside of school hours. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily for children and teens aged 6 to 17.

Exercise not only enhances your child’s physical health, but it also improves attention and memory. Encourage participation in organized sports, whether through the school or local recreation organizations. You can also involve the whole family in activities – visit a playground, go for walks, ride bicycles or play a sport together.

Limiting screen time is also a good idea. According to the CDC, too much screen time for young people is associated with poor sleep, weight gain, lower grades in school and poor mental health. Spending less time with screens leaves more room in the day for fun activities with friends and family.

Seek Help When Needed

Talk to a healthcare provider if your child continues to be nervous and worried more than a couple of weeks into the school year. Any time you are concerned about your child, or if your child shows signs of anxiety and depression, seek guidance from your child’s healthcare provider.

Sources:
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
HealthyChildren.org
Ohio Department of Children and Youth
University of Rochester Medicine