Back-to-School: Tips for Regulating Children and Preparing for a New School Year.
It’s that time of year where parents and children prepare to enter a new school year! Each new year of school brings new opportunities: learning, peer connection, and fostering growth in all areas of life. School also brings forth new challenges: anxiety about entering a new grade, adjusting back to a school schedule, peer interactions, and academics (to name a few). Here are some tips for supporting your child (and yourselves!) when re-adjusting to the school year.
Routine: Start Early
About a week before school starts is a great time to start easing your child back into a school routine. Consider the following that may have changed during the summer:
- Nightly Routine: If your child slowly began pushing their bedtime back and started waking up later, then re-establishing a bedtime can help with the disorienting nature of going back to school. Depending on how late your child is staying up, consider pushing their bedtime back in increments. For example, if bedtime during the school year is 8pm and your child is currently staying up until 10pm, begin pushing the bedtime routine back by 15-20 minutes each day. Your child will be readjusted to an earlier bedtime within a week before school starts.
- Activities: Your child may have had a packed summer schedule filled with sports, summer camps, and vacations. Consider offering an after-school activity a couple of days per week for your child as something for them to look forward to. This could be as simple as planning a movie night after homework is finished, an arts and crafts activity that your child chooses, or a trip to a local playground.
- Changes in Environment: Your child might be starting school for the first time or going to a new school. Transitions from elementary school to middle school, or middle school to high school, can be especially nerve-wracking and disorienting for children. If you have the option, attending a welcome night can help with setting expectations for what the new educational environment will look like. This applies to having new teachers when starting a new grade, too!
Autonomy: Providing a Sense of Independence
Dysregulating events for children can lead to them feeling out of control. This feeling can lead to power struggles, anxiety, and conflict with parents and teachers. Providing opportunities for children to make choices during transition periods can make it a little easier to adjust to a new routine and environment. The following areas can be easy places to start with fostering independence for your child:
- School Supplies: Allowing your child to pick out a backpack and school supplies with patterns or characters that they enjoy can spark excitement for returning to school. Have them help you with getting school supplies in their backpack, bringing supplies into school, or setting up their locker.
- Prep for the Day:Â One of the most exciting parts of starting school for children is planning their first day of school outfit! Help them choose what they want to wear for the first day so they have an exciting way to practice self-expression. If your child wears uniforms to school, offer for them to choose a way to style their hair. Additionally, if you pack a lunch for your child, offer them choices of what they could eat that day (such as picking a drink to bring along or snacks to pack). If they have lunch at school, offer a choice of what they have for breakfast. Wherever you can find opportunities (no matter how small!) to allow your child to be more independent can be beneficial for their overall confidence in returning to school.
Activities to Support Regulation
Sometimes it can be hard for children to voice how they feel when they feel dysregulated. Consider incorporating an activity that may help ease anxiety and overstimulation surrounding returning to school.
- Coloring: Coloring can be grounding for a child experiencing a shift in their day-to-day routines because of the mindful nature of coloring an image. Find a coloring page that your child can get excited about (such as their favorite character, favorite animal, or a scene in nature). You can color with your child too! Having a companion while engaging in art can act as a demonstration of mindfulness, and it can also open the door for a child to discuss their feelings. The art-making process often acts as a buffer between the child and the way they’re feeling— if your child begins talking about their feelings about returning to school, allow them to continue coloring and listen to their worries, what they are excited about, or any other topic that may arise.