Is Your Child Feeling Anxious About Going Back to School?

July 30, 2021 / Parent Resources

With vaccinations rolled out, your kids must be excited about returning to in-person classes. After all, they’ll get to finally meet their friends and attend physical school on a regular basis.

Although, according to a survey we conducted, it has been observed that 7 in 10 parents feel that children will have trouble socializing due to prolonged periods of isolation during the pandemic.

So, there’s a good chance that your child might be feeling more anxious than excited about going back to school.

Here are a few ways in which you can help your child feel more at ease about going back to school.

Don’t avoid talking about it

We might sometimes feel that talking about a problem will only make it seem bigger than it is. Your child, however, needs to be acknowledged and told that their fears are understandable. The next time your child asks something like “what will happen if my friend doesn’t show up for the first day of school?”, instead of telling them that it won’t happen, brainstorm ways to deal with it if the problem does arise.

Deal with separation anxiety

Since you’ve been spending a lot of time with your child, getting back to school could cause separation anxiety in your kids. Before school starts, try practicing some time apart from them. Maybe they could engage in independent play more often or spend time alone in a different room from you.

Set up a “school space” at home

Make your child feel like they’re actually in school before in-person classes begin. Set up necessary rules and boundaries so that your child can better adjust to them once they go back to school.

Discuss COVID-safety

Even though in-person classes will resume soon, let your child know that it’s still important to practice physical distancing, washing hands, and wearing masks.

Schedule a playdate

Before it’s time to go back to school, you could schedule a playdate with your child’s classmate. This will help reduce their anxiety and social awkwardness.

Talk about the things to look forward to

Although we must not avoid a problem, emphasizing on it a little too much could cause more anxiety and stress. In addition to addressing their problems, make sure to remind them about the several things to look forward to; more structured learning, a sense of connectedness, and more!
We hope these tips help prepare your child to go back to school after summer break. Don’t forget to shop Osmo’s learning games for kids to further ease the transition for your child.