Anxiously Waiting
Talk Up the Good
One way to maintain a positive tone and ease anxiety is to focus on the things your child has to look forward to this upcoming school year or the things they've enjoyed or excelled at in the past, says Fritzemeier. For example, perhaps moving up a grade means they're going to have more recesses or their own locker. Whenever your child starts to sway toward a negative thought, try to counteract it with a positive one.
Refresh and Refocus
Often, an underlying issue with back-to-school anxiety can be pinpointed to a child's least favorite subject. The best way to tackle this is with practice, says Kate Whiting, CEO of Educents, an online marketplace of innovative educational products. "In July and August, spend a few minutes a day reviewing last year's tricky concepts so your child will be set up for a successful September," says Whiting. After breakfast each morning, spend 10 to 15 minutes reviewing for school and then go to the park or pool as a reward.
Make It Fun
Another way to make your child's least favorite school subject feel less daunting is to find creative ways to make it more approachable. For kids who are intimidated by times tables, parents can use Times Tales, which uses funny stories to help kids memorize tricky multiplication facts, says Whiting. Or, if they're having trouble with fractions, do some hands-on practice in the kitchen with measuring cups and the ingredient of their choosing (such as cereal, chocolate chips or coconut shavings), allowing them to sample a treat each time they get an answer correct.
Everyone Gets Nervous
Helping your child understand that he's not alone in feeling nervous can be a big step toward calming him down. Also, Fritzemeier suggests that when your child opens up to you about his worries or concerns, try not to brush it off with a response like, "Don't worry, everything will be fine." This minimizes his feelings. Hear him out, ask why he feels anxious and help him understand that it's both normal and common.
Read About It
Going along with the "you're not alone" theme, children's books are a great way to ease the anxiety. "Books really help because it's someone else in the situation, not the child," says Fritzemeier. And a popular children's book theme seems to be about going back to school. A few of Fritzemeier's favorites include, "On the First Day of Kindergarten," "A TigerTail (Or What Happened to Anya on Her First Day of School)," "Clifford Goes to Kindergarten," "First Day Jitters," "The Kissing Hand" and "This School Year Will Be the BEST!" Even if your child isn't showing signs of anxiety, incorporating books about school into your reading rotation couldn't hurt.
Make Sleep a Priority
If there's one thing that Fritzemeier has seen too many times, it's that tired kids make for stressed-out kids. And waiting until the night before school to go back to an 8 p.m. bedtime when the kids were staying up until 11 p.m. won't help with anxiety. She suggests going to bed and waking up 10 to 15 minutes earlier each day so that the kids have the best chance of a good night's rest by the time the first day of school rolls around. "It really is a win-win for everybody," she says. "It will also be easier for parents not to be dragging the kids out of bed."
