How to Help Your Kids Beat the Back to School Blues

After the summer holidays, many kids find it hard to get excited about going back to school - a trend that seems to repeat itself year after year

. However, the phenomenon isn't exactly a mystery. Following a few months of sleeping in, playing all day, going on family holidays, and not having to do homework, it's no wonder that the thought of going back to school is less than thrilling for a lot of kids. What's more, the experience can be especially daunting if a child happens to be starting a new school. The resulting unmotivated state is often referred to as the "back to school blues", and affects a significant number of children at the start of each school year. However, there are a number of ways to help your child avoid falling into the back to school blues, and to help them cope if they do happen to experience it.

One way is to get them back into a routine towards the end of the summer holidays, before school even begins. For instance, a few weeks prior to the start of school, have your child start going to bed and waking up at the same time they normally would during the school year. This will get them back into the school year routine slowly and help avoid any shocks when school does finally begin.

If your child seems worried about starting a new school, consider visiting the school before the term begins, in order to familiarise him or her with the new daily journey and surroundings. Many times, children may worry about losing friends who are going to a different school, or even just making new friends. If this is the case, try inviting one of your child's old friends over after the first week of school is over, as encouraging old friendships will help put your child at ease about losing them. If your child is anxious about making new friends, suggest inviting a new friend over a few weeks into the new term.

Other causes for anxiety may include leftover problems from the last school year. Perhaps your child experienced bullying in school, or had trouble with a particular subject situations that could make kids apprehensive about going back to school. If you suspect that this might be the case, try re-addressing these problems and talking about how they can be avoided this year.

Last but not least, set a time to go back to school shopping with your child. Whether it's to pick up classroom supplies or a new school uniform, going shopping for school-related items will help put your child in the mindset of going back to school. You might even want to encourage them to decorate or personalise their school notebooks and other supplies, putting some fun into their back to school preparations.

How to Help Your Kids Beat the Back to School Blues

By: Paul Buchanan

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