Let’s face it. Early September is stressful for everyone. Back to school stress is real. It’s our job as parents to model how we deal with our stress in a positive way. We also need to help our kids manage their anxiety.
In the MRP Project’s Raising Resilient Kids program, we talk about helping our kids cope with stress to increase their resiliency.
Here are 5 do’s and don’ts to help ease your kids’ stress:
- Do something fun. Start a tradition on the night before school starts. It could be something as simple as going out to ice cream as a family!
- Don’t over-schedule. Talk to your children about what extra-curricular activities they want to join or not.
- Do talk about it. Ask your kids what’s causing them anxiety. Try and stress the fun that will be happening throughout the school year.
- Don’t be inflexible about when to do homework. Work with your kids to plan when they want to do homework. If they decide on the time and place, they’re more likely to buy into the plan and give you less of a hassle about homework!
- Do stay positive. Model positive behavior for your kids. If you’re enthusiastic about the school year, they’ll follow suit. Their nervousness might just turn into excitement!
Good luck to everyone as you start the school year. And stay tuned to our blog if you’d like to participate in our Raising Resilient Kids Program. Or let us know if you’re interested now. We’re starting our next session in October!