Back to school to be an exciting time for many students but for others, It can also be a troublesome time.
Students may become anxious worried about things they will deal with at school whether that is succeeding inside the classroom setting, or perhaps they may be worried about bullying, or peer pressure. 7News spoke to some school psychologists to learn ways to help the students cope with those anxieties.
It’s hard to believe but students will be heading back to school within the next two weeks and now is the perfect time to start making necessary adjustments to get into the swing of things. Back to school to be an exciting time for kids, but it can also be a very nerve-racking experience. Wheeling Park high school’s mental health specialist, Jill Malone, said children with anxiety aren’t alone.
“The majority of the kids coming into school, they’re all anxious, at this point in time, so they’re not by themselves. So parents talking to their students about their anxiety, being prepared,” Maloney said.
The world of academia can provoke a wide range of emotions for students. When it comes to anxiety, there could be a number of triggers such as being in an unfamiliar setting for incoming freshmen or transfer students. Students focusing on their studies and wanting to do the best they can. Also, unfortunately, bullying. It happens in every school and about one in four students are victims of bullying, but school officials are ready and willing to help students and their parents through all of it.
“Know that they can come to the adults in the building, anybody, any of the adults; teachers, coaches, principals, counselors, and report it and if you report it, we will find a way to get to that person and sit down and talk with them to kind of mediate as much as we possibly can to decrease any bullying that could possibly be going on,” said Maloney.
Back to school can also be an especially difficult time when a child is leaving home for the very first time to enter preschool or kindergarten. Middle Creek Elementary School Counselor, Pam Fazinni, explains.
“A lot of times the kids do come in crying, and so, one of the first thing that we like to tell parents is that it’s completely normal and sometimes it’s more difficult for the parents than it is for the children,” Fazinni said.
Pam Fazinni said, the most important thing they do for the students is to get them into a routine, so they know what to expect. Often times that may mean putting information on the board in the classroom to help remind students about how their day will flow. Fazinni offers some tips that you can do at home to help prepare your student.
“I would suggest sleep. I would have them start getting the kids to bed early, have them start getting up early because sleep actually is very important for how they function throughout the day,” said Fazinni.
Before school starts, it’s a good idea to check with your school district. Many districts offer a variety of icebreaker activities and various other programs to help lessen your student’s anxiety.
To see when your student heads back, check out our back to school start dates here.
