Beating the Back to School Blues by Kaylee Finlay
Kids everywhere seem to be cringing as the school supplies start popping up in the grocery store and as parents drop not-so-subtle hints that school will be here before they know it. Maybe whenever you bring it up you get a “I don’t want to think about it” from your child; what then? How can you prepare your kid for school when the very mention of August turns your kids’ carefree summer persona into a grizzly bear you don’t want to poke?
Acknowledge Their Feelings: Instead of just saying “well, it’s coming up whether you want it to or not”, try opening up the conversation by responding with something like “you seem really upset about school starting. I know it’s hard to go back when you’ve had such a fun summer.” This allows your child to know you are recognizing their feelings and that changes are hard. From there, you can ask them about what they are not looking forward to and ask if there is anything they are looking forward to.
Collaborate: One of the reasons so many kids dread school starting back is because they associate it with a lack of freedom. In the summer, there are not as many responsibilities they have to keep up with and they get to do activities that they enjoy. With the start of school, their responsibilities pile up and for them it can feel like all their freedom is taken away. By including them in decision making, you can allow them to voice their preferences and what they want. This can be done by: letting them pick out some fun school supplies (alongside the required ones), asking them what activities they may want to do after school, hearing their input on when they want to schedule homework time (they may want an hour to decompress when they get home from school before jumping right into homework!). When you do this, you also help them learn to speak up for themselves and advocate for their needs; which is a lesson that will help them time and time again!
Be Patient: Change is hard! It’s going to be hard for you to adjust to the new routine, and it is going to be hard for them too. If you remember this and hang onto the idea that you are all trying your best, you can approach early mornings and sleepy kids with more kindness.