8 Tips To Lessen The Back-To-School Stress On Your Family
The time for kids heading back to school is beginning again. This adds additional stress to everyone’s lives from waking up earlier to making sure the kids are situated, to homework help and paperwork, and school functions. It can be emotionally draining from the additional stress and anxiety, which is normal from wanting your child to fit in, succeed, and be happy. To lessen the overwhelming feelings, here are some tips to help limit back-to-school stress in your family.
Listen to what your child is saying.
Communication is key! It can be easy to hear your child complaining about not wanting to go to school and merely overlook it. However, there might be a bigger issue at hand. Talk to your child to see if something is going on at school that makes them not want to attend. Such as issues with a bully or a schedule that doesn’t suit them. These issues are going to significantly impact your child if they continue to go unresolved. Talk to them and see how they’re doing to ease their stress. Never minimize or dismiss the things that seem to be negatively impacting their life.
Help ease your own anxiety.
If you are feeling anxious about the summer ending and the new school year starting your child will also feel that. A new school year is exciting and encouraging your child it will be fun will help and benefit everyone. If you’re particularly hard on yourself and critiquing yourself that will impact the child. Trust in yourself you’ve done an excellent job and take a breath. It will help everyone feel calmer. Additionally, I offer treatments for anxiety, which can help further support your teen.
Plan ahead.
Knowing what you have scheduled for the week beforehand can help you move through the week with ease. This is a helpful self-care tip to reduce any potential anxiety about the week ahead. Do this in a way that makes sense for you. Maybe it’s setting weekly or monthly goals. It could be meal prepping on Sundays for the week or creating a monthly visual color-coded schedule. Figure out what works best for you to maximize your time and productivity to help you feel less stressed in your day-to-day life.
Set aside a designated homework time with your child.
When your child knows it’s time to do homework from 6-7 every evening, then they’re not fighting you on it, and it ensures it gets done. You are also not their tutor; you can let them know they can do their homework from a set time then ask you about anything they might need additional help on but they shouldn’t be reliant on your the whole time to do it with them.
Seek out time with your child every day, without technology.
It’s easy to get consumed in our lives with technology at the tips of our fingers, but for the parents and child, it’s equally important to spend time together without distractions. This will help your child feel more connected to you and will also be good for you to unplug. Focus on playtime, downtime, and family time - you can figure out how that looks to your family, but adding this set time together and unplugged is essential to help ease stress. If you’re looking for a helpful self-care tip, I highly recommend this one at least once a week for overall family wellbeing.
Create a bedtime for your child and stick to it.
Children need more sleep than adults do. Children ages 6 - 13 need between 9 and 11 hours of sleep each night, according to the Sleep Foundation. Establish a bedtime with your child and help eliminate factors that could be keeping them up at night like technology usage. It’s also crucial for parents to get enough sleep and have some alone time to decompress after their child goes to sleep.
Budget plan.
Heading back to school can also be stressful on you financially from the additional school expenses, as well as back-to-school shopping and knowing the holidays are right around the corner. Figure out what works best for your family to make sure that money is as little of a stressor as possible on you. Discussing issues like this in couples therapy, individual therapy, or therapy for families can help put people at ease.
Trust in your child.
It can be easy to feel out of control and uneasy with social media, text messages, fad challenges, and so on in today’s world. However, you have to trust your child and help them realize you are supportive of them. Additionally, you need to believe in yourself that you’ve done a good job. Make sure they know you love them, even when they hit the point they seem distant. It’s vital for them to know they have you and hear it. If you’re struggling with these emotions or developing this dialogue talking with me in therapy for families or individual therapy may help.
Begin Therapy for families in Long Beach, CA, Orange County, CA, Los Angeles County, CA, or Anywhere Statewide For Support!
Adjusting to changes can be challenging. The summer is a long break for many and going back to the normal routine can be challenging for your family. Receiving the necessary support to lessen the stress can make the transition easy. Sometimes, even beginning family therapy can be a great source of support. That is why as a family therapist, I offer in-person and online therapy in California for further support. To get started, schedule your free consultation, or to get started with counseling in Long Beach, CA, follow these simple steps:
Meet with me! Connie Hsu, your family therapist
Help your family feel more at ease during life transitions during various seasons of life.
Other Mental Health Services at Healing Generations Counseling
Therapy is a great resource for those struggling with transitions. Often we get into routines, and when the season changes we have troubles adjusting. That is why I offer in-person and online therapy at my Long Beach, CA counseling office. However, therapy for families is not the only service I offer in my California office. Other mental health services at Healing Generations Counseling include individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, life transitions, divorce recovery, trauma therapy, therapy for teens, support groups for teens, support groups for women, and EMDR Therapy. I also specialize in cross-cultural issues. This is a helpful service for those dealing with intergenerational trauma.
Additionally, as an online therapist, I specialize in families, cross-cultural issues, and trauma. I know the importance of connecting with family, no matter what that looks like for you. Therefore, I also provide family therapy and support for parents. Furthermore, I know that family dynamics are changing which is why I offer blended family sessions, parent-child conflict counseling, and counseling for sibling rivalry. If you believe you and your family could benefit from a space where you’re able to be heard and problem solves present issues, then consider beginning therapy, I am here to hold space for you in Long Beach, CA, Orange County, CA, Los Angeles County, CA, or anywhere in the state of California via online therapy. Call now!