With the first week back at school done and dusted, new research has shown that many Australian children are experiencing anxiety in the lead-up.
The study, commissioned by UNO, has unveiled six-in-10 Australian children report feeling worried about fitting in and making new friends to their parents.
The national survey of more than 1,000 Aussie parents also went on to find that almost half of all mums have had their kids verbally express feelings of anxiety in the lead up to the first-day.
We spoke to Child Psychotherapist, Counsellor and Wellbeing for Kids Director, Georgina Manning, who shares her top tips for mums easing their little ones back to school anxiety and jitters.
1# Listen to kids’ feelings
New places and spaces can bring up feelings of worry. Opening up the conversation with your little one helps validate their concerns and emotions – and, often just listening is enough to put them at ease.
2# Get back into a routine
Routines allow children to feel a sense of safety and predictability. Encourage your child to get back into their usual sleeping routine a week ahead of school. My tip? Replace the screens before bed with game time. A game (or two!) of UNO each evening can help relax the body and brain – and instill a sense of regularity, routine and familial connection between parent and child.
3# Create a visual task list
Children have fun creating and love to learn from visuals, so get crafty with a physical checklist so they can track and manage their daily tasks.
4# Pre-plan the night before
Plan and prepare as much of the morning ‘to-do’ list the night before. Think packing lunch boxes and laying out school uniforms to ease the morning rush.
5# Practice makes perfect
Practice back to school tasks, like getting dressed in the morning and tying up shoes ahead of the first day. This helps make the ‘new’ familiar and creates a routine.
6# Make a visit to the school
For children who are particularly anxious about starting schooling, a great idea is to make time for a visit ahead of the term to walk them through the grounds and play on the equipment.
