Parents Play Key Roles In Easing Back-To-School Anxiety

A structured day-to-day helps ease back-to-school anxiety for your children.

That’s according to Personal Growth Counseling’s clinical social worker Christy Bennett She said that the fears can stem from the fear of the unknown to a change from the summer routine. Bennett said to help assuage fears, parents can establish expectations.

“Knowing what consequences will be if they don’t meet those expectations,” Bennett said. “That security helps them shed some of those anxieties that all of this unknown has left them with.”

Bennett said that another key is having family time and increasing parent involvement. She said that talking with kids about their days helps them to work through their fears and anxieties as well. Bennett said that this year, she believes COVID has exacerbated some fears about a return to in-person learning.

“Our kids look to us for certainty and protection and COVID interrupted that,” Bennett said. “It kind of interrupted their innocence somewhat because they had to look at fears and the unknown that hopefully, they don’t have to typically deal with in their lives.”

Bennett said that there is an important line between parents pushing their children to leave their comfort zones while also meeting their individual needs. She said that kids have parents for a reason and that she wants parents to know that setting boundaries aren’t overbearing, but helping kids meet consequences and set up expectations for themselves.