Back To School - Supporting Our Kiddos
Back to school can be filled with all sorts of emotions. My mom used to take us shopping twice a year – one of them was for back to school shopping. We’d pick out a new outfit, get school supplies, and I remember packing my backpack and getting so excited. I also remember the nerves that would hit from anticipation – who am I sitting next to? Whats everyone going to be like after the summer?
Being a parent now, I can still sense the transition although feelings are different. I feel sad and excited about this transition into Fall that holds more structure and less flow than the summer. Change my friends, change.
Having spent part of August out of office, I was jolted back into my seat mid August by the reality of lots of fear being held by people – in their heads and in their bodies, going back into the fall with all things going on. On a political level, social level, health and wellness level. It feels as the surge of change the energy around it is big this year…bigger than normal. Can you feel this?
Our kids can too! I swing a lot on this pendulum of ‘kids are so sensitive without their adulthood filters’….to the other side of…. ‘kids are so resilient’. I believe both can coexist. Yet with this energy around, I start to worry.
Then I stop. Because we as parents, as adults with mature, openness, love and presence can help to mold what we want to occur this fall for our children, for us, and for our society.
So as we head into the season of leaves changing color, warmer sweaters, cold mornings, sunny afternoons, transition, heres how we can support our children to stay grounded and have a fun entrance back into school!
1. Talk to your kids about the transition: This is a simple one right? Yet an easy one to get them to talk about any questions that may be roaming around their head, any anticipatory thoughts of what school may be like. It allows you to understand where they are at!
2. Reconnect with school friends: For some this may not be until the day of school with trips to summer places, or if you’re a student going somewhere new. Yet if you are able to reestablish connections to school, this can allow ease back into the classroom. Kids change SO incredibly much over the summer – physically mentally and emotionally – its wild! So to allow reconnection can help them navigate (prior to needing to put your brain cap on for learning!) friendships or develop new ones
3. Anticipatory anxiety: Nerves can feel like they fly around in your tummy, they can feel like your chest gets heavy, that they affect your sleep and your mood. What is it for your child? Check in! And these can be exciting too! So although not all negative anxiety, the more grounded our children can walk through this transition, the higher their threshold of stress can be. That way they can meet the new school work, the new environment/classroom, new friend dynamic with a clear head.
4. Open hearts: As we see such polarizing views in society right now, remind your children open hearts can start with them. They are leaders. Uniting is a lot more fun then dividing. Are they seeing someone on the playground that is alone? Move towards them. Are they seeing someone struggling in the hallways? Move towards them. Are they seeing a group of people having fun? Move towards them. Be kind. They are leaders.
5. Snack snackity snack snack snack: Pack these full of protein (see last children’s health post on our Instagram or Facebook accounts @mardaloopwellness, on summer snacks) – same thing as starting school! Our children’s brains have to rewire into long learning days – they need energy – so get those balls rolling!
6. Water – remind them to drink this often!
7. Sleep – easy one right? A no brainer? Practising this for a few days prior to school starting is great as that way they can get a feeling for earlier bed times. (Or don’t because you’re grasping on to summerrrr!)
Any questions on supporting your kiddos, let me know.
