Monday, August 30, 2010
How to Address Anxieties Your Kids May Have About Going Back to School
So as a reminder, here are some things your kids might be worrying about – even if they haven’t voiced any concerns. I’ve also included some advice you might want to share with them so you can help them start their new school year with confidence.
How will I make new friends? There’s a saying, “To have a friend, be a friend.” Smile and ask questions that show you’re interested in them. “How long have you gone to this school? What do you like to do after school? What’s your favorite food?” After finding out about them, then you can share some things about yourself.
Will I get along with the new teacher? If you’re nervous about starting a new class, don’t you think she/he is too? Make the teacher’s job easier by being respectful. Listen to what you’re told to do and do it quietly and to the best of your ability. If you have any trouble come talk to mom or dad.
What if the homework is much harder and there’s more of it this year? You don’t learn by doing what’s already easy. The important thing is not to procrastinate. Do the hard stuff first and get it out of the way. If you need help, talk to mom and dad, and if we need to we’ll speak with your teacher.
It’s a new school and I don’t know where anything is? Let’s go visit the school and explore. That way you’ll know before school starts.
What if someone tries to bully me or someone else? Violence against another is NOT okay and your mom and dad want to know about any incident that happens. Some things you can do: Walking tall and looking people in the eye conveys that you’re confident and staying calm at these times show strength. Having a lot of friends help protects you, because bullies pick on others who are weaker and alone. If you’re bullied or see someone being bullied you can say in a firm voice: “That’s not nice. I don’t like that.” Walk away and tell an adult as soon as possible.
What if they don’t like me? How can they not like you? You’re a great kid. Just be kind and friendly. If someone doesn’t like you, that’s their loss, just keep being nice to them.
What if they make fun of what I’m wearing? What you wear says a lot about who you are. What do you think your clothes say about you? Are you happy with that? If you’re happy with yourself they won’t be looking at your clothes but at how positive you are.
What if they offer drugs or alcohol to me? Just look them in the eye and say: “No, thank you. Drugs make people stupid and I’m not stupid.” Rehearsing what you’ll say will give you the confidence and firmness to calmly refuse.
And parents, you need to be aware some of these difficult challenges begin at very young ages. It’s never too early to have that serious talk with your kids about how to make responsible choices.
Of course your kids may face different issues. But these ideas will hopefully help us as parents to think about what might be going on inside our kid’s heads. That way we can help them be ready for whatever they might face during the new school year.
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