Getting Your Child Back Into the Swing of a New School Year

Attention, parents, this is not a drill—back-to-school season is here!

Emotions can run high at home with school starting back up for the year, but thankfully there are plenty of tips you can put into practice to help smooth over the process and help the entire family handle back-to-school season like champs.

The Emotions of Going Back to School

Going back to school after having a couple months off can be an especially difficult transition for our kids, and with that change may come some back-to-school blues.

It’s not uncommon for children to have anxiety regarding the return to school—here are some ways you can help them ease that anxiety:

• Set up some play dates with a few of their familiar peers before the start of school. It has been found that the presence of a familiar friend during the school transition can help improve academic and emotional adjustment.
• Start going back to school-year routines a week or two before school to help prepare them for the transition. This includes bedtimes and picking out an outfit for the next day.
• Understand their worries about the “newness” of it all. The new school routine may seem overwhelming for a child and that feeling should not be brushed off.

You can also work with your child to set some goals for the school year. Start by having him or her pick out three goals, including academic, social and family goals. These can be revisited by the end of the school year and could yield exciting results for your child.

Tips to Ease the Back-to-School Stress

Once the shopping is done, you can use the following tips to help ease your child back into “school mode.”

1. Convene a family meeting. In this meeting, go over the school-year routines and see how you can aid your child in getting back to the “new” normal.

2. Create a visual schedule. Having something to look at can help your child become independent and know exactly what is expected of him or her.

3. Establish an activity-free day. New routines and schedules can be a challenge for everyone at home, which is why an activity-free day is an especially good idea. There is nothing better than having the ability to relax and do nothing as a family for a day.

4. Sign your child up for afterschool activities. From sports to drama programs like ours, the boost of confidence provided by afterschool programs is something too good to pass up!

We hope the upcoming back-to-school season hasn’t proven too stressful for your family. Remember, if it’s drama classes for kids you’re looking for, Drama Kids International is the place to go!