3 strategies for dealing with back-to-class stress
Going back to school is traditionally a stressful time for students. After a long summer filled with leisure, self-guided activity and unstructured play, students must make the abrupt shift back to work, routine and structure. For some, it’s an uneasy transition.
This year in Ontario, that stress may feel compounded by lingering anxieties around COVID-19. To start, not all school-aged children are vaccinated. And for legitimate reasons, their surrounding family members might not yet be vaccinated either. Moreover, students may feel academically rusty or socially anxious after a prolonged period away from school and friends.
A month into the new school year, if you sense your kid is still dealing with back-to-class stress, here’s how to help. Here are four strategies that help you identify, address and assuage back-to-class anxieties.
Locate the source – or sources – of stress
It should come as no surprise that helping starts with talking. Communication is usually an effective tool for parents, and here’s no exception.
As you talk through the issue, first try to locate the source – or sources – of the stress. Is your kid primarily concerned with academic performance after a year-and-a-half of disrupted education? Are they primarily worried about fitting in socially? Have they experienced separation anxiety, having spent so many months in close proximity to immediate family? Or, perhaps, are they picking up on some of your residual stress?
It could be one of those reasons, a confluence of several stressors, or something else entirely. The only way to know is to have frank, open conversations.
Consider alternatives
Education should serve your young learner. If they aren’t in an environment that helps them thrive, you should consider alternatives.
For many students, an online school in Canada addresses their issues. For those students (or parents) concerned about COVID safety, an online school offers a virtual, contactless alternative to receive Ontario OSSD credits. Students who feel held back by social pressures might find the remote learning experience preferable. And students worried by the academic demands of a classroom pace may benefit from the self-paced model of online learning.
Practice empathy, listening and affirmations
You’ve talked about the sources of anxiety and a potential alternative to address the stress; now, it’s time to be empathetic, receptive and affirmational.
Perhaps your kid doesn’t want a solution – they just want a listener. Maybe the root cause of their stress is negative self-talk. In either case, be there to talk. Empathize with their struggles and mirror back their concerns. Show them that you understand.
Some psychologists recommend practicing daily affirmations to challenge negative, disruptive or unhelpful thoughts. These declarative statements (“I can succeed in math,” “It is okay to ask for help,” or “People will like the real me”) may help bolster your young learner’s confidence. Try starting each day with a list of affirmations.
You’ll notice a thread running through each of these strategies: communication. Talk about sources. Talk about alternatives. Listen to them. Encourage affirmative language. The best things you can offer a kid struggling through a difficult transition is your time and attention.
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