Strategies to Overcome Post-Vacation Academic Doldrums
Helping Children Adjust to the Back-to-School Blues
As the new school year approaches, some children may experience feelings of anxiety, stress, or depression, often referred to as the "back-to-school blues." This article offers practical tips for parents and caregivers to help children navigate this transition period.
Recognising the Signs
Back-to-school blues can manifest in various ways, such as clinginess, restlessness, stomachaches, headaches, increased irritability, changes in eating or sleeping habits, negative thoughts, crying, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, and withdrawal from friends or family. These symptoms often reflect anxiety, stress, or depression related to the transition from summer freedom to school structure, social pressures, academic expectations, or changes like new schools or classes.
Dealing with Back-to-School Blues
To help children cope with back-to-school blues, parents and caregivers can:
- Observe and acknowledge feelings: Talk openly with the child about their worries to understand the specific sources of anxiety or sadness.
- Build stress-management skills: Help children learn coping mechanisms, such as breathing exercises or structured routines, to manage their stress and uncertainty about school.
- Provide emotional support and reassurance: Encourage children, create safe spaces for expression, and validate their feelings to reduce anxiety.
- Maintain healthy habits: Ensure regular sleep, balanced meals, and physical activity to support mental health.
- Stay connected and monitor changes: Regularly check in on mood and behavior; watch for persistent symptoms of depression or withdrawal that might require professional attention.
- Collaborate with school staff: Engage with teachers, counselors, or school psychologists for additional support if your child struggles with separation, concentrated anxiety, or behavioral challenges in school.
- Seek professional help if needed: When symptoms persist or worsen, mental health professionals can provide therapy or other interventions tailored to the child’s needs.
Empowering Children
Encouraging children to exercise agency can help them feel empowered, reducing worries and building motivation. This can be achieved by allowing children to make choices, such as choosing school supplies or extracurricular activities, which reinforces the idea that they have a say in how the year unfolds.
Promoting Emotional Processing
Reflecting on summer experiences through journaling, coloring, or creating a photo collage can help children process their feelings about the end of summer and the start of a new school year. Encouraging children to name and process their feelings can make the transition feel less daunting and more normal.
When to Seek Extra Support
If feelings of anxiety, low mood, or behavioral changes persist for a period of 2 weeks or more, it may indicate a deeper issue that requires additional support. In such cases, it is important to reach out to school counselors, pediatricians, or licensed therapists for assistance.
Online Therapy as an Option
Online therapy for teens and parents can provide flexible support, making it easier to connect with licensed therapists from anywhere without the need for commutes, waiting rooms, or carpools.
Keeping the Lines of Communication Open
Keeping communication open throughout the fall can help children feel heard and seen, making it easier for them to open up, ask for help, and trust their own voice. It's important to validate children's feelings and normalize them as a natural part of going back to school.
By following these tips, parents and caregivers can help children and adolescents adjust to the new school year successfully, fostering resilience, improving mental health outcomes, and promoting a positive learning environment.
[1] American Psychological Association. (2021). Back-to-school anxiety in children and teens. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/topics/back-to-school-anxiety
[2] National Association of School Psychologists. (2020). Back-to-school anxiety in children and adolescents. Retrieved from https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/back-to-school-anxiety-in-children-and-adolescents
[3] Child Mind Institute. (2021). Back-to-school anxiety. Retrieved from https://childmind.org/article/back-to-school-anxiety/
[4] Understood. (2021). Back-to-school anxiety. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/social-emotional-skill-development/anxiety/back-to-school-anxiety
[5] Mayo Clinic. (2021). Helping children cope with back-to-school anxiety. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/back-to-school-anxiety/art-20045639
- Recognizing the signs of back-to-school blues in children may include clinginess, increased irritability, changes in eating or sleeping habits, negative thoughts, crying, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, and withdrawal from friends or family, which could indicate anxiety, stress, or depression related to the transition.
- To help children deal with back-to-school blues, parents and caregivers can observe and acknowledge feelings, build stress-management skills, provide emotional support and reassurance, maintain healthy habits, stay connected and monitor changes, collaborate with school staff, and seek professional help if needed when symptoms persist or worsen.
- Encouraging children to exercise agency by allowing them to make choices can help reduce worries and build motivation, contributing to a more positive school experience.
- Reflecting on summer experiences through journaling or creating a photo collage can help children process their feelings about the end of summer and the start of a new school year, making the transition feel less daunting.
- If feelings of anxiety, low mood, or behavioral changes persist for a period of 2 weeks or more, it may indicate a deeper issue that requires additional support, such as professional help from licensed therapists.
- Online therapy for teens and parents can provide flexible support, making it easier to connect with licensed therapists for mental health interventions tailored to the child’s needs, without the need for commutes, waiting rooms, or carpools.
