The back-to-school season often ushers in a whirlwind of emotions.
Alexandria Fernandes Hoyt, a seasoned child and adolescent mental health social worker at Oak Valley Health with over 27 years of experience, offers valuable perspectives on navigating complex feelings that arise as children of all ages return to school.
“The past couple years have been profoundly challenging for everyone and children have been affected quite significantly,” says Alexandria. “In the current global and social climate, it has been a stressful time, and with the many pivots of adapting to different school environments, the transition back to school can seem particularly overwhelming.”
While parents and adults may experience and manage their own sets of emotions, children often struggle to know how to cope or understand their feelings due to limited developmental skills and available resources.
“Going back to school means adjusting to a new routine, spending less time at home, and facing the social challenges of reconnecting with friends and finding a sense of acceptance,” says Alexandria. “It’s important to stay attuned to these concerns and support a successful transition.”
5 back-to-school tips
- Comprehensive checklists: Beyond organizing school supplies and extracurricular plans, create a checklist for emotional needs. Build excitement around the new school year while offering
compassion and reassurance to address any worries. - Engage and observe: Regularly check in with your child. Listen to their feelings, observe their behaviour, and explore their emotional responses. Focus on building their strengths and understanding what strategies work best for them by reflecting on what worked in the previous school year or makes them feel most comfortable.
- Supportive strategies: Validate your child’s feelings and evaluate your own well-being as a parent. Establish consistent routines and practice them together to help ease the transition such as showing them their walking route, getting into a good sleep cycle, meal preparation, or scheduling play dates and activities.
- Normalize change and flexibility: Let them know about the changes they have experienced already and reassure them that they can overcome their fears. Some things may be out of their control, but it’s important for them to know they are not alone and it is okay.
- Seek additional support: If fear or change begin to disrupt a child’s daily functioning, there are resources available to help. Mental health disorders such as generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, or social anxiety can appear in various ways, such as through physical signs like stomach aches and difficulty breathing, or emotional signs, such as crying and numbness. Behavioural indicators might include isolation, school absenteeism, avoidance of social activities like playdates, and a lack of independence or clinginess. It’s important to recognize the signs and seek appropriate support if they are interfering with their daily activities and to address them effectively. Oak Valley Health provides in-hospital services such as assessment and treatment with group and individual counselling using cognitive behaviour therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, yoga, mindfulness, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and more. Additional community resources are available and also offer comprehensive treatment.
Child and Adolescent Services
Child and Adolescent Services at Markham Stouffville Hospital is an outpatient mental health program serving individuals residing in the catchment of eastern York Region and north Durham Region areas.
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This article appeared in the September 2024 issue of The Link. To receive Oak Valley Health’s community newsletter, subscribe now.