Commonly known as the Back to school syndrome in children, being aware about it and considering the fact that anxiety and nervousness or stress is not just a condition found in adults but even children can help in working around it. Children at their own level undergo stress or bouts of anxiety and one such situation is the school reopening time after holidays, when the kids go to a new class with a new teacher though overall surroundings might remain same, more or less.
Well, know once and for all that this feeling is quite normal for kids of all ages. But, you need to know when to consult a doctor. It is when these problems persist for long and become problematic for child’s mental health and if it looks like some anxiety disorder.
There have been cases of an icky feeling or jitters in the stomach in turn leading to kids puking or not eating anything at all when going to school. The syndrome known as back to school syndrome has been quite common and is linked with children who either start school to a new class post summer vacations or change their school.
So how to deal with this disorder? Firstly, it’s important to take it seriously and not ignore it. When you are in their shoes is when you feel what they must be feeling like. Now, further you may share you experiences of school with the child and make them understand that it was not just the case with him or her but many kids their age do feel the same way. Respect their fears and the stress they undergo and reassure the child through examples of your own episodes of anxiety in school.
For kids who are in nursery or kindergarten, a good idea is to set the school routine around a fortnight before the school begins. This includes waking the child up in the morning as per the school routine so that his or her body adjusts to the routine within time. The start of school then wouldn’t affect the sleeping routines set during the vacations and the body will also adjust to the earlier routines without much of a hassle for you. If you do not set a routine of putting kids early to bed and wake them around an hour or two before the school in case the school is in the morning, they might end up throwing tantrums once they have to do so on opening of the school.
You may also take them over to the school once or twice and their new class or the new school so that they get a hang of it and are a bit familiar of what it’s going to be like. This can help them relax a bit and lower their anxiety levels. Many schools are very supportive with this drill and you might as well get in touch for the permission to do so.
Well, trying to understand your kids and working around their issues can also help them feel secure with you and develop a bonding with them besides helping them cope with their stress, anxiety and nervousness issues from time to time and not just during school reopening times.
