The return to school can be quite overwhelming for many families, as this is accompanied by many things to which all family members must adapt: the change of routine, in some cases a new school, new habits, and so on.
No wonder that many fathers and mothers feel stressed with the start of classes, But do you know what the main reasons are? We share them.
What stresses parents the most about going back to school
While some parents feel relaxed, excited or relieved even when they return to school, according to an analysis conducted by the Coaching Club, three out of five Spanish parents suffer stress after the first week of going back to school. The two main reasons why this occurs are:
- The adaptation of the little ones to their first weeks in school and their new activities.
- The adaptation of working hours to the departure time of children.
These two reasons make parents experience feelings of guilt and anguish, causing this stress to occur we are talking about And it is that going back to school involves reprogramming everyone's schedules at home, from early morning to be able to get everything ready in the morning, until the departure time, it is when more problems parents usually have to coordinate it with their work schedule.
The adaptation to the school
As we have mentioned, the first reason that parents feel stress when they return to school is the adaptation of their children to their school, especially in the case of the little ones. Among the reasons why this is a cause for concern, it is included that your child cannot get used to his new environment, that it costs him work to adapt to his peers or that he suffers bullying.
And how can we help our children during the stage of adaptation to nursery school? First, it is important tell them about school in a positive way, and above all, keep calm ourselves.
Remember that the children are very perceptive and that they find their safe place in us. If they see us distressed or worried when taking them or going to them to school, they may misunderstand the situation and relate the school to something of concern, thus making it difficult to adapt.
Thus, we must convey tranquility, explain to them how and what this new stage of their lives consists of and when they leave them at school, do not make farewells very long, assuring them that when they leave school they will be with us again.
The adaptation of the schedules
As to the coordination of work and school hours, the feelings of guilt and anguish are present in the parents, because for many it is difficult to go to the time of leaving school to take their children.
Of this, many choose to enroll their children in extracurricular activities that help to extend the schedule to go through them after work, ask for help from family members to pick them up, as well as others measures that you would like not to have to go to, such as asking permission at work to be able to go to the time of departure, or hire a babysitter and leave their children in charge of another person until they leave work.
Of course, most mothers and fathers would love to see more progress on the issue of reconciliation in order to meet the departure times of their children, however, what we can do for now is understand that it is part of the adjustments that we have to take and do our best to avoid feeling guilty.
Tips to avoid stressing the first weeks of going back to school
We know that the adaptation period includes us all and that going back to school can be difficult to carry, but there are some things that can be done to make it more bearable and without stress. Some tips to make those first weeks less stressful They are as follows:
- Prepare all the night before. From clothes, shoes and backpacks, to what it will take to prepare breakfast and, if appropriate, what children will take in the tupper to school.
- Set and respect the routines of healthy habits For a good rest and food.
- If your children have a hard time understanding or understanding going back to school, you can find some resources to support you, how to read stories that help them adapt to this stage.
- Reserve a few minutes a day (it may be during dinner) to talk about the day and that your children can share their main doubts and concerns about returning to school, so that you can help them solve them, At this stage it is essential that they feel they have your support and understanding.
They can make a list of purposes so that the return to school is less difficult and they start it on the right foot, such as starting their morning with cheerful music and talking enthusiastically about the day that awaits them, making every day during the back to school stage (and the rest of the year) something exciting and less stressful for parents and children.
