Dealing with School Anxiety

The Morgan Hill Unified School District’s 24-25 school year started Thursday, August 15 and Gilroy began on Wednesday, August 21st. Return to school is one of the biggest stressors and causes of anxiety for kids today. Parents play an important role in helping their children make a successful transition from summer to the daily routine of a school schedule. 
As the school year starts, Discovery takes a look back at a Morgan Hill Life interview with Larry McElvain, late director of Morgan Hill’s Discovery Counseling Center, for advice to parents for helping their students adjust to the new school year.

Why is it important for parents to “prep” children for the new school year?
Have you ever seen that list of the top 10 causes of stress? You will remember that “death of a loved one” was number one on the list. The number one cause of stress for a child is often “going back to school.”  

Stress has a powerful impact on the body and the emotions.  All children feel stress. And many experience stress with a sense of anxiety, restlessness, lack of motivation, irritability, and depression. They may find it hard to focus, feel jumpy or tired, or may be easily frustrated.  The anxiety may generate fearful thoughts, such as, “What if I’m not smart enough? What if my teacher doesn’t like me?  What if I don’t like my teacher?” 

To reduce the anxiety, begin talking with your child about their feelings about school a couple of weeks before.  Ask them, “What are you most excited about when you go back to school? What are you most worried about?”  Talking helps reduce the fear level and increases the sense of expectation.

How can parents get kids excited about starting the school year?
The opposite f anxiety is hopefulness.  Anxiety is a natural and healthy emotion when balanced with positive expectations.  There are a number of ways to raise your child’s expectations.   

Make it a special event to get the kids new clothes for school, or new clothes are out of the budget, start a clothing swap with other parents.  Take the kids to buy school supplies, and let them pick the supplies when possible.  New things give going back to school a feeling of being special.  

Raise expectations by talking about possible goals for the year such as making new friends, having fun, new experiences, and becoming a better reader or mathlete. 

Generate excitement and demonstrate your value of education by dedicating a study area for your child. This is a special place he or she will do homework and study.  It should be a well-lighted area, without distractions such as television or other media devices. 

Should parents bring their children to the school grounds before school starts?
Absolutely. You might think that taking kids to school a week or so before school starts is a good idea for younger kids, but it is also great for youth entering middle or high school.   Visualizing the school environments takes away fears and answers questions they might have never vocalized. Familiarity brings a sense of comfort and a feeling that “I can do this!”

Should parents focus on particular subjects the child will face?

Reading is probably the one skill required across all subject areas. It’s a relatively easy behavior to get children involved in before school starts.  Start reading 20 minutes a day. Use flash cards or printable worksheets to get them back on track with math. Practice the skills they were learning or working on the end of the previous school year. 

Any final advice on preparing children to go back school?
Get on a schedule early.  Set up a regular bedtime and wake-up routine before school starts.  A good night’s sleep is essential to a child’s educational growth.  Getting children into sleep habits is essential to preparing your child for school and reducing first-day stress. 

It’s never too late to talk to your kids about their feelings regarding school, their worries and fears, what they are struggling with, as well as their accomplishments.  Starting regular conversations now will make it easier to stay connected as the year progresses. 
Morgan Hill Life staff article 2013, Larry McElvain