Supporting your children now that they’re back in school

According to research, some students’ headaches increase when it is time to transition from the summer holidays back to school. While some students have happily returned to school activities, some need to develop coping skills.

Here are some tips on how you can support children now that school’s back in session, whether they are excited or feel anxious.

Revision

No matter how light, it is a good idea to spend some time revising schoolwork. For older children, you can help them review notes they take at school. For younger children, you can sing nursery rhymes, and review colours and shapes. The goal is to get them back into studying mode. Many apps encourage learning based on age and subject.

Adopting the right coping skills for Children

Coping skills are important for both adults and children. However, children need these survival skills more than adults.  Guiding children using different coping skills is important but ensuring the adoption of the right coping skills for a situation is more important. Different stages children pass through require special forms of attention from parents.

Parents need to remain vigilant and study their children are they grow. Sometimes children go through stress and even depressing experiences that they don’t always share.

Below are some healthy coping skills for children

Labelling Feelings

For some children, being able to define and describe how they feel is all that they need in overcoming an uncomfortable emotion. Parents can assist their children by allowing them to voice out and talk about their emotions. So parents should encourage children to describe how they feel and be comfortable verbalizing their feelings. Learning how to do this aids in coping with different forms of emotions in school.

Breathing Exercises

Taking deep breaths remains a means of escape at different overwhelming periods for both adults and children. Parents can teach kids to simply breathe in through their noses and then breathe out slowly through their mouths.

Another fun way of doing this is by the popular “smelling the pizza”. Tell them to breathe in through their nose as if they are smelling a piece of pizza. Then, tell them to blow on the pizza to cool it down. Encourage your children to do this several times to help them feel better whenever they feel overwhelmed.

Exercising

This always works. Exercise relaxes both the mind and the body. It aids in keeping calm in difficult situations and improves one’s excitement rate in case of mood swings. Strength-building exercises (like lifting weights) and aerobic exercises (like running) can be excellent ways to help children regulate their emotions.

Children who know that it's okay to ask for help will feel empowered. They’ll know that they don’t need to know everything on their own and that it’s okay to ask for support. Click To Tweet
Art Work

Some kids enjoy creativity and this refreshes them. Children who love colours, sculpting or creating other forms of artwork can be encouraged to do so when they are stressed out.

Reading

Reading books can serve as a great temporary distraction. it is important to discover your kid’s favourite genre and make them available.  When your child is done reading, he/she might feel better equipped to tackle a problem because she’s feeling calm and rejuvenated.

Playing a Game

Just like exercise, playing games refreshes the mind. If you notice that your child is worried or inactive, it might be good to suggest playing his favourite game. Whether you play a board game or kick around a ball outside, doing something active can help boost your mood. And therefore be able to think about other things, rather than dwell on all the things that make him feel bad.

Positive Self-Talk

Children are likely to entertain negative thoughts when they are upset. A child may think things like ” I am not good enough”, ” I am a failure” or “None of the other children want to be my friend.” Teach her how to speak to herself kindly by asking, “What would you say to a friend who had this problem?” She’s likely to have some kind, supportive words. Encourage her to give those same kind words to herself.

Ask for Help

When your child is struggling with something, ask, “Who could help you with this?” Help her recognize that there are likely multiple people who could assist her.

A homework issue might be resolved by calling a friend who can explain the problem differently. Or, it might be helpful to talk to the teacher the following day. See if your child can name at least a few people who could help her.

Children who know that it’s okay to ask for help will feel empowered. They’ll know that they don’t need to know everything on their own and that it’s okay to ask for support.

Teaching your children this set of coping skills will go a long way in preparing them for life’s demands and ensure that they are in the right frame of mind in school.  Assisting your children in planning their study timetable also helps to set them on course to do well during the school year.

As parents, you can assist your children in putting their time into good use by:

  • Allowing them to share their visions and goals with you. It encourages them to do better.
  • Ensuring they do not compare themselves with others.  It is okay to be unique.

Supporting your children through school and its demands is an active parenting role. You need to be deliberate in finding out key obstacles to their success. Finding these obstacles dictates the steps you will take in combating them.  As a parent, you must ensure you discuss the steps you are taking with them and help them see how they’re helpful.

Read Also: Preparing for Exams

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