Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. This means that we may receive a small commission if you choose to purchase something from a link we post (including links to amazon.com because we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.) Don’t worry, it won’t. It costs you nothing. Back to school. Three words I dread. Does anyone else get anxious about going back to school? Back to school means goodbye to the relaxed feel of summer and hello to homework and a strict schedule. As a kid, I used to go back to school in a big way. My stomach was turning around at the sight of school supplies and the smell of freshly sharpened pencils. Fears took over my mind and I would start asking, “Does my teacher love me? Will I be able to find the bathroom? Do I have friends to play with on recess?” etc etc etc. I was so anxious that my third grade teacher told my mom at a parent-teacher conference that she was worried about my stomach. She advised me to relax and stop worrying so much! So what do you do if your child is nervous about going back to school? Back-to-school stress is perfectly normal. Anxiety in small doses is normal and part of our biology. But we can relieve stress by talking to our kids and talking to them about their concerns before school starts and I have a fun way on how to do it! It’s called “Anxiety Monster!” These (friendly, of course) monsters love to eat worries written on scraps of paper and put into their mouths. The purpose is not for your child to let go of feelings of fear, but rather to acknowledge them and practice letting go of consuming thoughts that can escalate anxiety. Scroll down for more tips on how to process these feelings. You’ll need: a tissue box, glue, scissors, paint, and just about anything around the house that you can use to decorate. I started thinking after I finished that some shiny feathers could be fun! Really – anything goes. Side note: I like to use tissue boxes. But you can use any box, shape or size. We used acrylic paint but I think spray paint might work beautifully too! The kids went right for the googly eyes first, but if you don’t have any, you can draw the eyes or use an egg carton. I forgot to mention that we chose to cut the plastic off the slot so we could add teeth but you can leave them if you like. Then we used those triangular cosmetic sponges and cut them in half to make the teeth. My kids got creative and had fun figuring out what they wanted their monsters to look like! And voila! Isn’t this fun!? Next, ask your child to write down his or her concerns or concerns about school or anything he or she wants on a slip of paper. Then, they can feed it to the “worried beast” to eat or keep. Some additional tips about back-to-school fears: Talk about feeling afraid so your child can learn how to know when they are scared. You can ask questions like, “Where do you feel anxious in your body?” or “How do you know you’re afraid?” Avoid judging their feelings, whether they are good or bad. Avoid saying things like, “You don’t feel that way” or “Don’t be afraid.” This is a great way to get rid of their feeling and shut them out. Spend time just listening. Use reflective phrases such as, “You are afraid…” to help them identify their fears. Try going to class and meeting their teacher beforehand or starting a visual countdown. Look for children’s books that deal with feeling afraid (I’ll talk more about this in an upcoming post). It will be here before you know it. Dare I say it… a school!! So start the conversation now about this upcoming transition. Then g0 enjoy the rest of the summer!! Follow me on Instagram @weedstowishes or weedstowishes.com
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