It’s that time of year when we’re getting in the last few outings of the summer and trying to get school supplies and clothing to start the new school year. Fitting in all of these activities on top of the regular life responsibilities (e.g., work, caring for aging parents, doing household chores and maintenance) can cause stress for parents. Children feel the stress, too, as they anticipate having a new teacher, a new schedule, and maybe even a new school. Rather than coping with stress in unhealthy ways (e.g., emotional overeating, drinking excessive alcohol, spending extra time in front of the television), families can work together to make this transition more successful. The following tips might be useful in your family.
Identify what stress looks like for you (e.g., not sleeping well, being more irritable) and for your children (e.g., not sleeping well, being more oppositional or tearful).
Identify what is causing the stress (e.g., going to a new school, balancing work and the needs of the children).
Identify how the family deals with stress (e.g., more smoking or drinking, eating poorly, losing your patience, engaging in acting out behavior).
Talk to your children. Discuss their worries or concerns about the new school year. If you can, visit the school and find the location of the new classroom and/or “walk the new schedule.” After school starts, take time to listen to your children about any new concerns that they might have.
Empathize with your children. Acknowledge that change can be difficult and make people feel nervous. With change, however, comes exciting new opportunities, too, including new friends, new activities, and learning neat information.
Practice a first day of school routine. Get into a sleep routine before the first week of school to get used to going to bed earlier and waking up earlier. Organizing school supplies (backpacks, notebooks, lunch foods, lunch money) to aid in the first morning going smoothly.
Analyze your schedule. Assess priorities, eliminate unnecessary tasks, and delegate those that can be delegated (e.g., order a healthy take-out dinner on the first day, ask your spouse to take on a task or two temporarily). Make at least a small amount of time for yourself (e.g., 10 minutes per day) to relax and slow down your body’s stress response systems.
Spend time together as a family. Eat a meal together each day, schedule a family game/movie night, or go on a weekend hike.
Build support networks. Get other parents to participate in car pools to football practice or scout meetings. Have lunch with other working parents to share ideas about streamlining some of the parenting/household responsibilities. If you’re still feeling significant stress, seek out a mental health professional (e.g., psychologist) to get support or advice in juggling your responsibilities and managing your stress effectively.
