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Whether you are sending a little one to daycare, pre-school, oreven kindergarten, there’s a high chance that they are going to have some back to school jitters that go hand in hand with those upcoming experiences. Those feelings are one hundred percent normal! However, no matter how normal those feelings are, they can sometimes be difficult to work through, especially since every child is so different.
It doesn’t matter if you are navigating back to school jitters for the first time or the fiftieth, it’s always comforting to learn what other moms are doing to help their children cope, and to learn from their experiences.
Today, we’ve chatted with moms and they have all opened up about their various situations with their little loves so that they can help other moms navigate the newness of the upcoming school year.
“With younger kids, acknowledging and redirecting the anxiety into a fun and distracting activity is really helpful! We grab the crayons and color together while we talk about the things that feel scary and the things we look forward to!” - Laura Miner,Literacy Learn
“We always walk through what they fear about the new year, then, address what they know to be true and what is unknown. That way, we can ground them in facts and past experiences instead of being anxious about the "what ifs". We also talk about worst-case scenarios (that they feel might happen) and then problem solve what they could do if that were to happen.
Lastly, I remind them that this is their time to learn and make mistakes; that I love them no matter what and always have their backs.” - Dana Lardner,Create to Donate
“I like letting mine know that it’s okay to be worried. I show them simple breathing exercises they can use to calm down when they’re anxious, such as a slow, deep breath in through the nose, then out through the mouth.” - Samantha Radford,Evidenced Based Mommy
“Routines are key in our house! Regular bedtimes, wake up times, and setting expectations doesn't totally curb back to school anxiety, but it does help kids focus on controlling what they can and they go into the new school year knowing they're prepared. We also do a lot of talking about what to expect and how they will handle life if things don't go right.” - Melissa Corriveau,Life With Less Mess
“We are big on making back to school feel extra special with traditions, like our "School Year's Eve" celebration! By making the time leading up to school feel special and exciting, it helps our littles be more excited and less nervous.” - Siobhán Alvarez Borland, Mimosas and Motherhood
“I was a teacher and am a mom of two. I always suggest doing dry run-throughs and practices before 'big days,' whatever they are. Obviously, you can't practice everything, but getting dressed, eating breakfast, packing a backpack, driving the route and even getting out to learn where to stand in a line are helpful. Part of what makes the transition so stressful is the fear of the unknown, so it helps to make as much known as possible.” - Hillary Mae,Homegrown Hillary
"Practicing before the first day is a huge help! Set an alarm, put on the school uniform (if there is one), grab your backpack and lunch bag, and take a drive or walk to the school to see where your child will go in the first day. Look at the schoolyard, talk about making new friends and doing new fun activities, about how nice the teacher will be, and how proud you will be of your child for starting the next grade. Then go out for breakfast or ice cream (or start a new tradition that doesn't revolve around food), and promise your child to go out for ice cream after the first day of school." - Kate Vaynshteyn, High Chair Chronicles
"For younger kids prepping for back to school is so important. Three different ways to do this would be through different books. Books that talk about school, the rules, what to expect, a typical day, and making friends are all great ones to help. Another way to prep would be to play school with your young ones. Pretend to be the teacher and walk through a day at school this way. Then switch roles and have your little one pretend to be the teacher. They can even do this with siblings, stuffed animals, etc...Lastly, be honest and tell them about exactly what will happen. Use as many details as possible." - Rachael Erin, Mama of Minis
We hope that these moms have given you some insight into many different ways to handle and help your little ones cope with back to school jitters!
