Back-to-School Strategies that Promote Positivity and Cultivate Resilience

The first sight of a yellow school bus can cause excitement and anxiety.  The best way to prepare students for back-to-school is to do just that – prepare them.

“Children thrive with routine; it’s important that as we get back to school, we get back into those routines that kids can rely on – going to bed on time, eating healthy, limiting screen time,” said Marilyn Wilcher, Director of the Resilient Youth (RY) program at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine (BHI) at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Rana Chudnofsky, MEd, is a former Massachusetts school teacher who works with students, educators and families through the Resilient Youth and Resilient Schools programs.  Back-to-school worries can vary according to children’s age and interests, but the one constant should always been open lines of communication, she says.

“A new year can mean a lot of new experiences and anxiety, so communication is key: talk to your child about their expectations, answer their questions and reach out to the school.  Whatever the age, kids need to know that their parents are there for them, that they will support them, and that they love them,” Chudnofsky said.  “We want to instill and foster resiliency in children, and we can do that by maintaining open lines of communication.”

Back-to-School Tips

1. Establish a routine: set standard times for going to bed and waking up, for meals, schoolwork and free time.  The sooner you put the routine into practice, the better; that way, waking up early on the first day of school is not a shock to your child’s system.
2. Minimize anxiety: everyone gets butterflies before the big day, but if kids feel their parents are anxious for them, they will feel justified for their worries.  Talk to your children about their concerns and let them know these are normal feelings; share your own first day worries. Help your child relax by going to the school beforehand, so s/he gets the lay of the land; this alleviates worries about being able to navigate around school.  Meet up with friends from school before school starts, plan back-to-school outfits and lunches, and buy your school supplies early so that your child is excited for new opportunities and has a comfort level of what to expect.
3. Build excitement: help your child get pumped up for school by talking about great experiences from last year and listing new opportunities the new year will afford.  Promote positivity by helping plan what types of clubs, teams or activities your child will join. Going to school should be looked at as an exciting time by the whole family.
4. Set healthy limits: going back to school means shedding some of the freedom of summer.  Begin the school year with established expectations about the amount of time children will devote to schoolwork, extra-curricular activities, social interactions and family time.  Limiting screen time (TV, phones, video games and computers) now will serve you well through the rest of the year.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents limit children’s daily screen time to no more than one or two hours per day, as well as turning off screens during dinner and prohibiting screens from children’s bedrooms.