Schools
Parents, Students Prepare for Back-to-School Jitters
Students typically experience stress about the prospect of returning to school but there are a number of ways that parents can work with their children to reduce anxiety.
As Labor Day fast approaches, parents turn their focus to back-to-school clothes, back-to-school supplies, and back-to-school sales. But what about back-to-school jitters, those pangs of uneasiness that can plague a student when faced with the prospect of returning to school in the fall?
Dr. Fran Falco, a Huntington child psychologist, said feeling some anxiety about going back to school is typical. "Stress is a function of change and the transition to school is a change," Falco explained.
Indeed, no matter how successful the prior school year was academically or how many friends were made, a youngster may be worried about a whole range of issues from getting along with classmates to knowing the way around school.
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Jocelyn Pensa, the mother of a Huntington School District second-grader, lamented that her daughter was in tears about going back to school because she fears entering a new grade and being in class with new children.
"She is worried she won't know anyone in her class," Pensa said.
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According to Dr. Falco, there are some relatively easy ways to ease a child's anxiety about going back to school. The first is to acknowledge the feelings by telling the child, "I know you're a little nervous," and to allow for some discussion about the child's concerns. She further suggested helping the child "associate the onset of school with positive experiences," whether by arranging a play date with old school friends or spending time in the school playground.
"Pre-exposure to school can reduce anxiety," said Falco who recommends taking the student to visit the school and even the assigned classroom and teacher, if such an option is available. For older children, Falco said she believes that reconnecting with school friends who may have been scattered over the summer may reduce anxiety.
Huntington resident Jessica Dammer said that her 8-year-old daughter was nervous about finding the classroom in her new school. Dammer said they are making plans that are in line with Falco's thinking.
"We are hoping to see the new classroom," Dammer said.
Local school district officials said many of the Hungtington schools are open prior to the school year for this very purpose.
The results of all these efforts won't be evident until the first day of school when the children march off to class, hopefully with smiling eager faces, and then it will be time for parents to take a deep breath and recover before the closing bell.
