Summer holidays is coming to an end! Every parent and child can only think about going back to school. Are you preparing yourself for what’s to come? For most families with children, summer holidays are for relaxing and having fun. Therefore, the mere mention of the idea of going back to school can disrupt this mentality. Suddenly, there is a sense of unseen urgency and panic among many parents and students. Time to de-stress!

3 Back to School Tips

No matter which role or where you are going, back to school can cause stress and tension within the families and their members. Here are 3 tips to help to ease the transition:

1. Avoid the shopping rush: Let’s be honest, are the stationary shops and clothing stores closing after the first day of school? No, they are still continuing to do business after that day. You can wait till the rush is over and then, pick up the extra stationary or extra shirts. I notice that sometimes more equipment is recommended after the first day anyway.

2. Talk to your child: It is time to have a chat with your child. Ask your child how are they feeling about going back to school? Happy or sad? Most importantly, the reasons behind why they feeling that way. Writing it down can help to focus on the feelings and emotions. As a parent, validating the child’s concerns is important as part of good communication. Just listen as first, and avoid giving any suggestions or solutions.

3. Develop Schedules: With our increasingly technological world, the practice of sharing our appointments on calendars has made communication within the family unit much easier. However, I like the idea of having a big whiteboard, where the whole family can post their schedules on in the kitchen, for example. Whichever way you choose, it is about sharing information about everyone’s activities.

How do you de-stress before going back to school?