After an action-packed and fun-filled summer vacation, your kids may not be looking forward to going back to school. A new school year brings new routines, new concepts, and new people. These uncertainties can cause stress to your kids. There’s always a bit of anxiety associated with this, but as a parent, keep an eye out for unusually high levels of stress. Signs of stress include trouble sleeping, vomiting, and frequent headaches. Talk to your child about the upcoming school year, and engage them in discussion about their feelings towards the upcoming year.
If you sense an abnormal level of stress in your child, work with him/her to put together a list of likes and dislikes about school. This list will provide some perspective that school isn’t all bad. Next, review the list of dislikes and try to proactively address them. Realize though that you likely will not be able to address every one of them, but that’s okay. For example, one of their dislikes might be that they hate doing homework. A potential way to address this would be to sit down with your kid and help him/her with difficult homework. You get to spend some quality time with your child while also helping him/her to learn. Both you and your child benefit.
I wish all of you all a happy and prosperous school year!
Brian K. Gaw, MD: Pediatrics + Adolescent Medicine 