The start of the school year tends to bring excitement and fun! For some of our families, this time can also bring some worry and uncertainty about a new environment and pressures of achievement and success. Here are a few helpful back to school tips to support your family and make the start of the school year an enjoyable and memorable one!
Create a Schedule
Having a routine is a good way to teach your child how to manage their time effectively. Creating a schedule for homework, studying, extra-curricular activities, and family time can be very helpful in reducing stress and supporting time management, self-care, and organization. Creating morning and bedtime routines such as setting out clothes, packing your backpack and preparing lunch the night before helps to reduce anxiety and uncertainty, which supports an easier less stressful start to the day.
Create Open Communication
Talk as a family about the day and support open communication and listening. Let your child know they can talk to you about the school day, whether that is about their worries or concerns or their excitement. You can engage in open communication and ask questions. What happened at school today? What was the best part of the day? What was one part of the day that could have been better? How can we make tomorrow different? Supporting and teaching open communication assists connection, empathy and an understanding that whatever happens during the day, there is a safe space to discuss it. This reduces anxiety and stress around the day to day at school.
Healthy Eating & Sleep Habits
We all know it can be difficult to eat well and get a good night’s sleep especially when we are experiencing increased stress, excitement, or anticipation around the next day because of an upcoming test, a peer interaction or a sport try out. But getting a good night’s rest and eating healthy nutritious foods sets our bodies and our minds up for success in every situation. When we are tired or hungry, our bodies and our minds can quickly move into a state of anxiety and panic.
When we get a good night’s rest and eat healthy, our bodies get the fuel it needs to perform better and that helps our minds to stay balanced and more focused on the tasks at hand.
Have a Positive Attitude
Whether you are trying out for the sports team, choir, dance or cheer, or going out for student body president, having a positive attitude about things can increase confidence and help you feel better about the outcome. Encourage your children to practice positive self-talk about their skills and about what they hope to accomplish. Help your children see things from different perspectives and talk about ways to improve your skills, practice these skills and learn from the experience.
Be Kind to Yourself and Ask for Help
Help your child see the importance of not only being kind to others but also to themselves. Modeling kindness for your child through the interactions you have can help facilitate growth and development. Helping your child see that being kind to themselves, focusing on what they can control instead of worrying about what is out of their control can help support a healthy positive mindset. And when you need help as a parent or when your child needs support, know it’s okay to ask for help. Modeling that kind of behavior for your child also teaches healthy boundaries and healthy life skills. Because we all need a little help every now and then!
Need help navigating the beginning of school or stressful situations? Have a student-athlete or high achiever that needs support with anxiety or performance? We are here to help! At Elite Psychology and Wellness we are a group of highly trained performance therapists who are dedicated to supporting our youth, our adults and our communities. We see all ages of individuals and work with athletes and high achievers. Call us today to schedule an appointment!
