In total, our children have spent at least six months away from the classroom over the last year, unable to have face-to-face time with their teachers, mix with friends or take part in extracurricular activities such as sport, music and after school clubs.<\/p>\n
So, as millions of children prepare to return to school on 8 March after the third \u2013 and hopefully final \u2013 pandemic lockdown, the relief amongst families is huge. Parents have managed the daily schooling whilst also working from home themselves. In homes where there have been limited on line resources the pressure on families has been immense.<\/p>\n
There have often been several children trying to manage on one devise and this has led to frustration re those who have the means and those who don\u2019t. No child, no family want to feel they have been let down re the education of their children or, that their children will be behind their peers once they return to school.<\/p>\n
Whilst for many who can\u2019t wait for the day to come to return, many are experiencing anxiety about the return and this applies to both parents and the children. Charities including Barnardo\u2019s and Childline are offering advice for \u201cback to school anxiety\u201d as some pupils admit they are nervous about what lies ahead and so contacting them for help may prove a helpful step.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s natural for some children to feel worried about returning to school even in a normal year so it\u2019s perfectly understandable why they may feel anxious after the past year,\u201d says child and adolescent clinical psychologist Dr Melanie Smart. A year in and out of lockdown has meant our children’s usual routine has been more disrupted than ever before. Lots of children will be anxious about the return to school and will need significant emotional support, there are also practical things parents and carers can do to help prepare<\/p>\n
Routine activities:<\/strong> Encourage your child to have a similar set of activities that they do each morning after they wake up. This is important because routines can help to provide a sense of stability and something for us to anchor onto. Feelings like anxiety can often make a person feel like they are not in control and therefore some form of a routine can create comfort and stability. You can help with this by talking to your child about the importance of a routine. Remember to remind your child that it\u2019s okay if it doesn\u2019t always work out, and that there\u2019s always tomorrow to try again.<\/p>\n Role modelling:<\/strong> Encourage your child to get dressed out of their pyjamas each day by modelling this yourself. It might also help to choose clothes with them the day before and lay these out ready for them to put on. Encourage them to be \u201cschool ready\u201d<\/p>\n Have some sort of a plan:<\/strong> Try to plan activities where you can. This can either be for later that afternoon or even better for tomorrow or the rest of the week. Having something to look forward to can help to lift our mood and give some structure to each day. Look for activities: Look for activities that your child\/children would be interested in doing as a whole family<\/p>\n Family time:<\/strong> Organise family time activities. This could involve games or other activities you can organise and do together, whether it’s at the dinner table, on the bedroom floor or while you’re taking a walk to the shops<\/p>\n Sleep routines:<\/strong> These are likely to have changed during lockdown as there doesn\u2019t have to be the dreaded morning rush to get out and drop children off at school and all the stress that accompanies this. Make sure a good sleep routine is re-established as soon as possible. Make the end of their active day clear and stick to the routine.<\/p>\n Tips to help anxious primary school children<\/p>\n Pupils struggling with anxiety after lockdown should be allowed a gradual return to school, the government’s youth mental-health ambassador says.<\/strong> He says that schools should give anxious students “a bit of time to integrate slowly back in the classroom”. So do speak with your child\u2019s teacher or head teacher. Remember you won\u2019t be the only parent needing to do this so there is no need to feel uncomfortable about it<\/p>\n Remember too, that Care first is there to support all parents who themselves may be anxious about their child\/children\u2019s return to school. Take time for yourself and try to work out what you would need to help with the anxiety. Having a plan a routine or a thought process to help with this is useful and allows you to \u201corder your thoughts<\/p>\n You can join our live webinar on Monday 8th March at 12pm by registering on https:\/\/attendee.gotowebinar.com\/register\/6096270121226844688<\/a><\/p>\n If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In total, our children have spent at least six months away from the classroom over the last year, unable to have face-to-face time with their teachers, mix with friends or take part in extracurricular activities such as sport, music and … Continue reading \n