All sorts of stressors seep into the minds of kids as the first day of school approaches.
SAN ANTONIO — For students, summer is winding down and the school year is just around the corner. End of summer stress comes along with the approaching ring of that first school bell.
A majority of kids have school-related worries from who do they sit with at lunch to exam anxiety. Hitting those problems head on and as early as possible is key to starting off the school year on a positive note.
“I think a lot of times it comes down to routines and keeping consistent routines. Sleep is a really, really big factor that plays into anxiety, but also kind of emotion regulation,” said Dr. Garry Wright, a pediatric psychologist with CHRISTUS Children’s.
“I always tell parents to start talking about going to school, what that’s like, especially for new students like kindergartners. Orient them to what they can expect and the highlights of going to school,” said Dr. Gabriela Nunez.
A survey by Nemours Children’s Health found two out of every three children age 9 to 13 are worried about school. Homework is one stressor that affects at least one in every two students. Oher worries include not making friends, academic challenges and bullying.
“If a bullying situation comes about, I would say immediately address it with the school. Talk to your kid about what the plan is. Hey, we can stand up to bullies. We don’t let this happen because someone can get hurt,” Nunez said.
If your kid is struggling in any subject at school, it isn’t always because they can grasp the information but rather executive function skills, like staying organized. And that can be worked on at home.
“Those are going to be things like time management, being able to plan, prioritize our projects, those types of things,” said Wright.
Nunez also tells parents that you are your kid’s biggest advocate and cheerleader, so do what you can to protect your child but find a good balance so they can grow on their own too.