Combat back-to-school anxiety
Does your child like to “MOVE IT?”
6th May 2020
DIY Homeschooling in 2020
1st Sep 2020
Let’s combat back-to-school anxiety! After more than 100 days of staying at home, in a safe and comfortable environment, children are slowly but surely returning to school. At first staying at home was a new and strange experience, causing some negative emotional behaviour. Families had to work through this and finally, for some, there was a bit of stability. Now there is another big change; returning to school where it feels like you are in the military. “That is not 1.5 metres apart!” I heard a teacher yelling to a 6 year old. Goodness, the anxiety of constantly having to make sure you’re not too close to a friend. Constantly sanitizing and being reminded of this horrible virus going around. Tension starts to build, but they can’t go play on the jungle gyms, they can’t run and swing and throw a ball to release some of that constant feeling of rigidity. “Sit in your square, and eat your sandwich”. “Only chat to the friends close to you, but make sure you don’t come to close.” Now it’s time to head back to class. “Remember the social distancing!” Lines painted everywhere on the floor, sanitizing stations in every room, this irritating mask, “I CAN’T BREATHE!”
I can’t breathe!
– children everywhere
Anxiety in children is peaking along with the virus. More and more children are complaining of stomach pain, nausea, having meltdowns at home, and appear to not want to cooperate. A recent survey conducted in Italy on the psychological impact of Coronavirus Lockdowns on children has quantified what many parents observed during weeks cooped up at home: kids were more irritable, had trouble sleeping and for some of the youngest, wept inconsolably and regressed developmentally.
So how can you, as a parent, support your child through this challenging time?
Here are a few tips:
- At home, try to ensure that they can release some of that built-up energy. Let them jump on a trampoline, play with a ball, run around the house, do some exercises with you to release some endorphins (that feel-good hormone released during exercise). ANYTHING except screen time (e.g. watching TV, playing on an IPad/phone).
- Try to get your child to express some of their emotions. Ask about their day and ensure that they feel they can talk about their emotions in a safe space. Don’t make any assumptions about how they may be feeling and let them know that it is okay to feel whatever they are feeling.
- Try provide your child with as much information about their new school schedule that you can. If they are only going to school on certain days, make a visual schedule/calendar that they can refer to, to know what happens when. Let them place a sticker on the schedule each day that they attend school to have a concrete understanding of what is happening.
- Don’t put pressure on yourself, or them! This is another big adjustment that you are going to have to go through and it may take time. There will be good days and bad days. Try your best to support, comfort and reassure your child without putting pressure on yourself to make sure that their homework is done or that they’ve settled straight away.
- Be positive. It is important to encourage your child to think towards the future and to understand that this situation will not last forever. Let them make up dreams or wishes of things they would like to do when this is all over to instil a sense of hope and positivity in them.
- We are in this together. Parents, children, teachers. It has been a change for all of us and we are all doing the best we can. Teach your children to be kind to others despite being overwhelmed. Teach them through your example.
“The treatment for anxiety isn’t to make the fear go away, it’s to manage the fear and tolerate uncertainty,”
– Jerry Bubrick
Be extra compassionate to your little one’s feelings at this time. We tend to think that they are not fully aware of the intensity of the pandemic, but at the moment they are just as confused as the rest of us. Give them some extra love and make home a safe space.
References:
- Anxiety and Coping With the Coronavirus
- https://time.com/5854243/coronavirus-lockdown-impact-children/
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions
