Child experts: Parents should start prepping children now for return to school
Therapist Jody Baumstein says as students head back to the classroom, parents can gauge how they are feeling by asking open-ended questions and then simply listening.
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Students across New Jersey will return to the classroom in a little more than a month from now.
Experts say that preparing children now for the challenges ahead can be beneficial.
“It’s normal for them to have all kinds of emotions,” says Jody Baumstein, a licensed therapist with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Strong4Life Program.
Baumstein says as students head back to the classroom, parents can gauge how they are feeling by asking open-ended questions and then simply listening.
“We think we need to swoop in and save them from the feeling. But when we say things like, ‘Don't worry, it's gonna be fine,’ It doesn't make anybody feel better. It actually makes them feel worse because now they feel like there's something wrong with them, they shouldn't feel that way and you don't get it,” Baumstein says.
She says returning to school can be nerve-wracking for some children because of the unknowns. She says that parents can help by filling in the blanks.
“So, thinking about things like going to meet the teacher night or going and taking a tour of the school. If it's a new space, this is really important because a lot of kids have anxiety about the physical space,” Baumstein says.
She also says that routines are important for children and parents should start getting their children back into one. She says that if summer bedtimes are different, parents should inch back to where they should be before the first day of school.
Baumstein also says that if there are new school supplies, students should practice using them so that they are comfortable.
She also says that parents should keep the conversation going throughout the school year.
