Navigating your feelings during back-to-school transitions
Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only! Should you or a loved one exhibit any signs of mental crisis or distress please seek professional help from a qualified Practitioner promptly! To contact the national suicide & crisis hotline just dial 988 . You can download the National Suicide & Crisis Hotline wallet card here. You can also find numerous crisis lines for any situation here.
Nostalgia
We have all been there. Back to school is very stressful. Whether we were the student and for many of us we are the parents or caregivers of students. Youth are far from being exempt from back to school and mental health shenanigans. In fact, it is quite true that for many students the transition from (old friends, a new classroom, new rules, new workload), can truly cause mental distress to develop in our youth or even exacerbate illnesses. Back to school is necessary for every youth and it is inevitable. Whether a youth is receiving instruction in person or in cyber school, be advised that the same struggle exists for them and it our job as parents to be like Beyonce on her “Cowboy Carter,” tour and be our youths “Protector!”
Mental illness in youth is a bit hard to identify because of many factors. With the growing number of neurodiverse and comorbid conditions it is very important to differentiate between them so to be very certain not to misdiagnose and label a child with the wrong condition. Back to school stressors should not go unnoticed. More importantly, the wrong treatment could be extremely detrimental to the underlying issues making the healing process a tedious one.
Is My Child Okay?
Any good caregiver will ask the same concerning question if their child presents home with questionable behaviors such as, new or increased anxiety, lack of doing normal things they love. Most parents share similar concerns
For many of our youth they struggle alone never to tell anyone about their day at school. Which is why it is so important for Parents and Caregivers to work hard at identifying declines in the child’s mental health and attend to the child’s needs promptly.
The Domino Effect
The biggest concern Is, the result of a lack in interventions for our youth. Like the analogy of a domino effect, one thing goes wrong after the other. When our youth are bullied
that could cause them to develop metal illness such as anxiety and depression. They could develop the feeling of wanting to feel “numb,” then start to turn to substance use to make the pain of reality to go away. That addiction becomes a problem and so forth and so on. We have lost countless lives of our children because many have neglected to identify the problem as our children’s mental decline gets swept under a rug.
As Parents, Caregivers, teachers etc.… We are responsible for the lives of our youth and sadly many of them have been let down because of our own preoccupations.
Making a Change 2026
Can our children count on us in 2026 to be empathetic towards their emotions?
Can we show our young children that they have the support they need to thrive in 2026?
Can our children trust us with their problems to help them sort things out?
Can we give our children some of the emotional support that we did not have when we were their ages? I can say yes. I pray many of you can to. Let’s have a great school year 2025/2026.
Signs of Back-to-School Stressors
- Avoidance behaviors
- Changes in appetite
- Distraction or inability to focus
- Excessive worry or fear
- Trouble sleeping
Tips to Make Back to School Transitions Easier
1Reset your family schedule.
https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/back-to-school-transition-tips-for-parents-and-kids
During the summer, it’s natural to be on a more relaxed schedule. Bedtimes might be a bit late, and kids sleep in more than usual. That’s great!
But when it’s time for the first day of school, you may not want to rush your child into a new schedule. Instead, get them on a healthy sleep schedule by shifting their waking and sleeping hours by 5-10 minutes daily, starting a week or two before school begins.
2Make a menu.
Before the first week of school, sit down with your child and talk about the foods they enjoy. Use this opportunity to list healthy, delicious lunch and snack foods they’ll love to take to school.
Recipes like these yummy Oatmeal Muffins can be made ahead in larger batches to grab on the go as you’re packing lunches and snacks.
3Discuss routines.
Children thrive when they can explore their decision-making skills. They also have great ideas! Have a conversation with your child about what they think their daily routine should look like on a school day.
What will be the first thing they do when they wake up? What will they be in charge of? Now that they’re moving onto the next grade, are there any new responsibilities they’d like to tackle?
Creating routines can guide positive behavior and aid with transitions like the beginning of the school year. They also are a great idea for parents, as they help reduce power struggles and can bring you and your child closer together.
4Create a checklist.
Now that you’ve talked through a routine, make it into a checklist!
A checklist for the school day can help keep children on track as they move through their mornings and afternoons. Add responsibilities like making the bed, brushing teeth, and more.
Kids will love seeing what they’ve accomplished, and parents will love their help in preparing for back to school because it will keep everyone on track.
5Plan something to look forward to.
The back-to-school transition can be challenging. To help create a welcoming environment after school, plan a few activities you can do together, like making a fun snack or creating a craft together.
Spending time together after school helps kids wind down after a long, busy school day. Create cute pencil toppers, or even a little cardboard friend while asking your child questions about their day.
These moments after school can be something that you (and your child!) look forward to all day long.
6Coordinate with friends.
Knowing they’ll have friends nearby is a great way to ease the back-to-school transition, especially for young children.
Coordinate with other parents to find out if your child will have class, recess, or special clubs with their friends.
If your child is new to school, reach out to the school to learn how to connect with other new parents to plan a few get-to-know-you playdates before the school year begins. Having a familiar face in the school yard can be comforting at back-to-school time.
7Talk it out.
Once all the checklists are made and the supplies are taken care of, have a few heart-to-heart chats with your child! Ask them how they’re feeling about the start of a new year. For example, you can say, “Last year, you were working on making new friends at recess. How are you feeling about making friends this year?”
Perhaps your child is excited, a bit nervous, or even anxious. All of those feelings are normal and to be expected. As adults, we have tools to help children cope with back-to-school anxiety that can be comforting.
You can also remind them about the exciting things a new school year holds! These open and honest conversations will help ease parents and kids into the new school year.
With some extra planning and care, your child will be off to a fantastic start in transitioning back to school after summer break!
