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The start of the school year always brings upon a lot of excitement. For some, that excitement translates into high energy, and for others that excitement translates into anxiety.
Here are a few tips to help…
When talking to your kids, listen more than you speak. Very often we want to drown them with advice, when oftentimes they may just want to be heard. When we do more listening than speaking, we also engage in less judgment, leading our kids to share more with us in the future.
2. When doing this listening, we want to make sure we acknowledge and validate their emotions. Sometimes adults may want to minimize the situation, in attempts to help kids feel better. Let your child know it’s okay to feel anxious, worried or nervous about starting school, but be careful about diagnosing them, so to speak, by saying, “You just have anxiety.” We all experience a variety of emotions, but remember only doctors and therapists can diagnose actual anxiety.
3. When we get caught up in our big feelings, we typically forget to focus on the positive. The same thing happens to kids. After listening to your child, instead of YOU telling THEM all of the great things there are about starting a new school year, you can HAVE THEM highlight the positives by asking them for the silver linings, or what I like to call “at least” statements.
4. A positive most can agree on about starting a new school year are the preparations! New school clothes and gear can bring excitement, when you do it together, instead of just purchasing things for them.
5. When we think about it, going anywhere with new faces can indeed be overwhelming - even for me! Whether you’re new to town or have been there for years, it helps when our kids are connected to others in their school. That can look like attending a new student orientation, having a playdate with friends they haven’t seen all summer, or staying active throughout the school year in extracurricular activities to help with the following year.
6. When I meet parents, a saying I often think of is, “Apples and trees.” What I mean by that is children often mirror or imitate their parents’ actions without realizing it. If you are feeling nervous for your child, chances are they are picking up on that energy. Like the saying goes… be the calm you wish to see.
7. And how do we become calm? By learning how to handle our big emotions through coping strategies. For big overwhelming nerves, trying moving your body. For less intense worried feelings, try breathing strategies.
We all experience big emotions from time to time, whether it's stress, anxiety, sadness, or anger. Managing these emotions can be challenging, but it’s essential for our mental well-being. That's why I’ve put together a comprehensive list of 120 coping strategies. Whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’ll have a go-to list of tools to help you cope, heal, and thrive.
And the best part? This guide is completely free! Check it out on the side (or if on your phone, at the bottom) of this post.
