Managing Your Child’s Back to School Jitters

Is your child having difficulty sleeping?

Does your child get a tummy ache when you

discuss the start of a new school year? Is your

child stressed about new school safety? new

classmates? new books? The back-to-school

jitters is common among central Florida school

children. If your child is feeling lots of anxiety

about the new school year you may want to review

the following jitter reducing tips:

First, prepare your child for the first day of class.

According to Crickett Gibbons, author of Easing

Back-To-School Anxiety, “Start preparing him now,

before school starts. Visit the school before the first

day. This is the time to walk him from the carpool

lane or bus drop to the classroom. Show him where

his things will go and meet the teacher, if possible.”

Discuss your child’s plans for the year- what school

subjects will they learn this year? What extracurricular

activities do they plan to become involved in? What

friends do they look forward to seeing? Let your

child know that most children feel the jitters of going

back-to- school. You may want to share your own personal

experience with starting a new school year when you were

a child.

Second, help your child make school a home away from

home. Crickett urges parents to “ask the teacher if your

child can bring in a small item or family photo to put inside

a locker or desk. This can be an extension of home. Special

notes in your child’s lunch box can bring midday comfort.”

Your special note might say ‘I’m smiling at you,’ you’re a

smart boy and I know you are going to have a great day.’

Third, organize your child’s school-related items. Add the

Following suggestions to your back-to-school list:

*Sort through your children’s closets and drawers. Make

a list of things you need for the fall.

*Collect school gear including backpacks and lunch boxes.

*Give those items a thorough cleaning.

*Gather school supplies. Collect what’s left of last year’s

*supplies and add to your list what you need to buy.

*Set back the bedtime clock. Slowly start moving up

bedtime and waking

*Get your child up earlier in the mornings. They need

*A chance to get acclimated to a new schedule

*Make a school notebook. Designate a three-ring binder

for classroom newsletters, homework policies and

other parent reference materials.

*Give each child a fileor notebook where they can

put the papers and art projects they want to keep.

*Hang an erasable academic calendar. A central calendar

can keep your family organized.

The cliché ‘if you are prepared, you will not fear’ applies

to your back-to-school preparations. A well-organized

home will give your child the confidence they need to

begin the new school year without extra anxiety. Children

with healthy self-esteem have a track record of responding

with confidence to new challenges.