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Back to school anxiety - How can parents prepare kids as the time to go back to school gets closer?

2 min. read


The new school year is usually an exciting time for kids and a time to celebrate for parents who have been keeping busy all summer long.听A new grade and new adventures at school await. But this year, with children heading back to class in just a few short weeks, anticipation has been replaced by anxiety as a lot of kids are stressed about the idea of returning during COVID-19.



For most children, predictability can play a major part in being comfortable and feeling secure.听As well, with children seeing the news, having spent months in lockdown and knowing that they鈥檒l likely be wearing a mask all day, the pressure of the 鈥榰nknown鈥 may be enormous.

鈥淚t is normal for kids to feel nervous about returning to school, especially if they have been learning from home for months,鈥 said , a leading counselor education expert and associate professor in the in the College of Education at 黑料正能量. 鈥淭o help ease their anxiety, I encourage parents to reassure their children about the safety measures in place to keep them safe and remind them about the positives, such as being able to see their friends and teachers.鈥

Rausch also recommends the following tactics parents can do at home to help ease the back-to-school anxiety.

Wear a mask at home:听Wear one while playing a game, reading a book or having some screen time. Normalizing life in a mask may be the new normal.

Share how you feel:听Parents who can share their feelings will likely prompt children to share their own.听Let kids know that adults are nervous and are sometimes afraid too, and encourage young ones to open up and express any lingering or pent up emotions.

This coming school year will be like no other in memory, and as parents get kids ready to head back into the classrooms 鈥 there are still a lot of questions remaining.

If you鈥檙e a journalist covering this topic 鈥 then let our experts help.

is a leading expert in counselor education, and her research focuses on underserved populations, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals and women.

Rausch is available to speak with media regarding this important subject. Simply click on her name to arrange an interview today.

Connect with:

Meredith Rausch, PhD

Associate Professor

A leading expert in counselor education with research focusing on underserved populations, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals and women.

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