Visual Aids Help Reduce Student Stress As New School Year Begins

Heading back to school can be a stressful time for young students, but there are ways parents can ensure success.

Local Pediatric Occupational Therapist Heidi Clopton said visual aids are beneficial when helping kids prep for the new school year.

“Taking a picture of the classroom and a video, pictures with the teacher is fabulous too, and talking about those as part of your bedtime routine,” Clopton said. “And reading books about going back to school, there’s tons of books out there to prep them about what does a school does look like?”

Clopton said finding a new routine will also play a key role in setting your kids up for success. She it is important to make sure kids start that new school routine as soon as possible, especially with the new year set to begin within the next couple of weeks.

Clopton said a common mistake parents make in trying to prep for the coming school year is exhibiting frazzled or overstimulated emotions. She said if your pressure or stress is up, your child’s will be as well.

“We are an emotional and sensory barometer for our children so if we are not calm and we are frazzled and we make that first morning frazzled, we may yell or raise our voice or rush the child, that is one of the worst things we can do,” Clopton said. “Because we’re setting them off at a high level of stress going into a stressful, new situation. So staying calm yourself as a parent is vital.”