
08/21/2025
Back-to-school transitions impact both children and parents in unique but equally important ways. Children may face worries about new teachers, friendships, or academics, while parents often deal with stress related to balancing multiple schedules and routines, as well as the emotional load of making sure everything runs smoothly.
For kids, this transition can look like anxiety, sleep changes, appetite changes, withdrawal, irritability, or difficulty focusing in class. For parents, it can show up as fatigue, stress, guilt, burnout, poor sleep, skipped meals, or even relationship strain due to school responsibilities.
Supporting mental health during the start of the new school year means recognizing the challenges from both perspectives. Families can benefit from:
1. Establishing consistent routines that don’t cause either side to stress
2. Open communication between parents and children
3. Normalizing stress and offering reassurance
4. Prioritizing self-care for parents and children
5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it
Lastly, it is important for parents to know that in order to support their child, they need to start with supporting themselves. This can be done by carving out time for yourself, creating routines that bring calm (not chaos), and getting help when you need it. Here is a blog that offers some self care tips for parents that may be helpful (https://bit.ly/4fLcLKe).
For more tips on making the transition smoother, check out this article by Psychology Today here: https://bit.ly/4lHE6OZ.
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