How to help children deal with anxiety and stress as they go back to school
BOSTON - The start of the new school year can be a tough time for some children. They may develop anxiety over getting used to new routines.
It's not easy for kids to transition from the freedom of playgrounds and swimming pools to the structure of early mornings and classrooms.
"I like holidays!" exclaimed one toddler at an Allston playground. That's a common sentiment among kids of all ages.
"It's hard then to go from this very kind of disorganized, in a wonderful way, summer schedule to something that's very regimented that's going to require them to do a lot of work," said Dr. Ellen Braaten, a psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
According to Braaten, this time of year can be anxiety provoking for kids, but she reminds parents that this is not necessarily a bad thing.
Anxiety just "part of life"
"Anxiety is just a part of life. Anxiety is something that we need to manage and it actually helps to motivate us," she told WBZ-TV.
So, what is a parent to do?
Braaten says parents should start by managing their own anxiety and talk to their kids about how they're feeling.
"Helping your child learn that all of those feelings that are kind of confusing and worrisome are actually normal and that what we need to do with that is talk about it," she said.
Don't overschedule
Keeping an eye on your kids' schedules is also important. Prioritizing sleep and nutritious meals will help. But Braaten also warns parents not to fall into the trap of overscheduling activities outside of school. Signs that your child may be overdoing it include irritability, restlessness and zoning out on phones, iPads or video games.
"I find that when parents see that, they usually think that's a sign their child is not doing enough when often times that's a sign that a child is doing too much," she said.