Techniques for Eliminating Post-Summer Depression During School Return
Managing Back-to-School Blues: A Guide for Parents
Starting a new school year can be an exciting yet challenging time for both children and parents. To help your child cope with the back-to-school blues, open conversations and supportive strategies are key.
Identifying the symptoms of back-to-school blues is the first step. These may include unusual clinginess, irritability, restlessness, frequent stomachaches or headaches without medical cause, changes in eating or sleeping habits, crying, difficulty concentrating, withdrawal from friends or family, and expressing negative thoughts or worries.
When you notice these signs, initiate supportive conversations by asking open-ended questions about their feelings related to school, validating their emotions, encouraging expression of specific concerns, reassuring them that nervousness is common and manageable, and staying connected and checking in regularly to maintain open dialogue.
Effective strategies for a smooth transition include involving children in back-to-school preparations, establishing and maintaining healthy routines for sleep, meals, and physical activity, teaching and helping build stress-management skills such as deep breathing, mindfulness, or journaling, encouraging gradual exposure to school-related activities, and monitoring for persistent or severe symptoms of anxiety or depression.
Additional helpful tips include recognizing that signs may be subtle or expressed as irritability or behavioral changes rather than direct complaints, being alert to negative self-talk and social withdrawal, keeping communication lines open without pressuring the child to talk before they are ready, and harnessing creative outlets like journaling, drawing, or creating a photo collage to help children express their feelings.
If a child's low mood, anxiety, or behavioral changes linger well beyond the first few weeks of school, consider reaching out for extra support from school counselors, pediatricians, or licensed therapists. Online therapy for teens and parents is also available, offering flexible scheduling and no commutes or waiting rooms required.
Remember, it's important to validate children's feelings and normalize the experience of back-to-school blues. By allowing children to take initiative, even in small ways, you reinforce the idea that they have a say in how the year unfolds.
Articles on our website are written by experienced mental health-wellness contributors and extensively reviewed by clinical experts to ensure accuracy and adherence to current industry standards.
In summary, early recognition of symptoms, empathetic conversation, structured routines, teaching coping skills, and professional support when needed form the core of effectively managing back-to-school blues in children and teenagers. Keep communication open throughout the fall to help children feel heard and seen. If these feelings persist for a period of 2 weeks or more, it may indicate a deeper issue that requires additional support.
