School’s about to start, so let’s get ready!
Today we wanted to give you some quick tips as schools are opening up in a few weeks. We know this can be a stressful time for girls and parents of girls, so we put together a list to help you all smoothly transition…
9 Stress-Free Tips: How To Get Ready For School
1. Begin reinforcing boundaries. This means bedtime, no phone zones, etc… a week or 2 before school actually starts. Sucks, I know, but this really can make a huge difference in how your child transitions. Sleep is important y’all!
2. Start having conversations with your child/ren about what to expect. They’ll likely have a new classroom, schedule, teacher, you name it. Honestly, anxiety grows much bigger when there is uncertainty involved so talking about how it may go and what to expect, goes a long way. (Do these in the car if your kiddo is reluctant to talk at home and make it quick – in and out.)
3. Develop a toolbox of things you AND (yes and!) your kiddo can utilize if shit hits the fan. Some ideas of these could be a favorite book, a game to play, journaling, a special walk in a favorite park, playing outside for a bit, taking a bath, or petting a loved pet. A fun project can be creating a pretty tub or box that she can decorate with stickers and pictures and place some special items in there that you guys only access on a really shit day. Some items we’ve seen added to these are fidget spinners, small stuffed animal for grounding, journal, book, special candies, you get the idea.
4. Remind you and your child that everyone is feeling nervous about going back to school! It’s so normal and expected.
Tip: try to stay away from using clinical words like anxiety or depression just so you can begin helping them reframe their feelings as more normal and less scary. So instead of using anxiety, use the word worry or fear. Replace depression with the words sad or unhappy.
5. Think about creating a special tradition that you do only after the first day of school. It could be making a special treat at home like Rice Krispie treats or cookies, or going to the lake one more time before the weather turns, maybe taking a bike ride on a trail nearby. Have your child/ren in on the planning stage – they love doing this!
6. Help your kiddo reframe some negative thoughts they may be having about going back to school. If they are saying things like I’m never going to make friends or I won’t fit in, help them change these thoughts into something more positive and realistic. Your therapist has been doing this with you so feel free to ask her for suggestions if you’re stuck too.
7. Make sure you are modeling calm behavior. Our children pick up on everything we do, including our emotions, so show them that everything is figureoutable (thanks Marie!) and that keeping calm is queen.
8. Try to create a system for how things should go when they get home from school. I always recommend to parents that they don’t force their daughter to do her homework as soon as she gets home. Let her settle in, have a snack, take a break and maybe start later, say, 5 pm. We always did this with our kids and it worked really well!
9. Lastly, take some damn breaks! If they’re feeling overwhelmed or you are, have them step away from the homework, assignment, work, whatever it is, and go do something fun for a few. Get outside and get some fresh air and then once you’ve calmed down, you can try again.
Good luck! We know this is a stressful time especially for our children, but we know you can figure it out and as always, we are here for you too! You can self-schedule ANYTIME for her or you by clicking here.
We’ll see you soon!
