For a large percentage of children, the end of summer is associated with unhappiness. Because the end of summer symbolizes the end of the holidays and the opening of schools. Although meeting with missed friends after the long summer vacation and the thought of the innovations that the school will offer in the new year gives the child excitement and happiness, the opening of schools also brings with it feelings such as anxiety and fear. Especially children between the ages of 9 and 13 experience this situation intensely. Children in this age group are at the peak of physical, cognitive and social development. This situation creates uncertainty and unrest in them. These sensitive individuals, who begin to become self-aware, overanalyze the people and events around them. For this reason, they are often very touchy and judgmental, especially towards those they are close to. It is as if the world has mobilized to crush and upset them. In their eyes, everyone and everything is an enemy to themselves. Considering all these negative thoughts, the opening of schools creates anxiety for children in this age group.
Return to school anxiety manifests itself in children close to the opening of schools, such as anxiety, irritability, excessive emotionality, hopelessness, reluctance, depressive mood, appetite and sleep disorders. shows symptoms. The child often expresses concerns about the new school year. He is indecisive, reluctant and aggressive when shopping for school. This situation is more common in children who have difficulty adapting to new environments, who had difficulty starting school, and in children who move from primary school to secondary school.
What Should Parents Do?
-The best thing you can do for children who have anxiety about returning to school is to talk to them about their concerns. When listening to their children, parents should pay attention not only to their words but also to their body language. Children in this age group are shy and are not equipped to fully express their feelings. Therefore, it would be a mistake to expect them to express their feelings and concerns openly. But the biggest enemy of fears is putting them into words. No matter how long it takes, be patient for your child to talk to you about his or her concerns about returning to school. Giving examples from your own life, you Your child will enjoy talking about how you had similar concerns when you were his/her age, which will relax him and make it easier for him to open up to you. - Help your child find the underlying causes of his concerns and develop solutions for them. For example, the child may be experiencing anxiety about schools opening because he is having difficulty in math class. Identifying the lessons in which the child has difficulty and correcting the subject deficiencies in these lessons will help the child return to school with more self-confidence and reduce his/her anxiety. Another reason may be that the child has friendship problems at school. If the child has no friends or is bullied by his friends, these problems should be solved in cooperation with the school. - It is also a good method to ask a close friend or siblings to help the child who is experiencing anxiety in the first days of school. In the first days of school, friends or siblings supporting each other and helping each other with their needs seriously reduces the anxiety experienced in the first weeks of school. - In cases where the child feels anxious and helpless, direct him to go to a teacher he feels close to at school or to the school's guidance units. School guidance units are equipped to support children with school anxiety and friendship problems to solve their problems. Therefore, it would be beneficial to be in contact with the teachers working in the guidance service at your child's school.
-If there is no relief in your child's anxiety despite all efforts, be sure to get support from a psychologist or child psychiatrist before the problem becomes chronic or causes other psychological problems.
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