Thinking about getting back to school after some time away can be daunting for all involved. Parents and carers will be busy planning ahead to ensure that provisions are in place for their child's learning resources: uniforms, PE kits, clubs memberships and materials, stationery supplies, child care logistics, transportation...the list goes on. For our children, as well as being part of this process or seeing the efforts involved in the preparation, they will probably be experiencing a mix of emotions about going back to school (whether a familiar or new setting).
As the end the holidays approaches, excitement and anticipation builds about seeing familiar faces and friends or meeting new friends and adults. Thinking ahead to new routines, expectations and responsibilities can result in varying levels of anxiety inour young people. You may notice a change in sleeping patterns, your child being more or less chatty than usual, lots of questions being asked about what to expect and how the new term will go, showing anger, rudeness or non-compliance, feeling sick or getting head and stomach aches. All of these things are a natural part of any transition and there are lots of things that can be done to support your child in advance of, and during this transition.
Start a clearer routine with your child that will replicate the one that they will have during the school term:
Most importantly, talk to them about what and how they may be feeling; try apporaching this using 'wondering' statements, rather than telling or asking them directly about their feelings. For example, "I am wondering if the new term is goign to be much different from last year..." or "I remember feeling a little worried and excited about going back to school, I wonder if this might be the case for you too."
There are some great resources available to support families with the transition back to school on Tean Tips and the Wellbeing hub: https://www.youngminds.org.uk http://mentalhealth-uk.org