Worries, anxious thoughts or anxiety can happen if your child feels out of control. It helps to find things they can control and start from there:
- Can they make the school routine more enjoyable? Try making a morning playlist.
- Young children might not have seen friends since school closed. Could you arrange a meet up online beforehand?
- How will they get used to the new routine and get enough sleep? Could they practise waking up early for a few days before school starts?
- Ask what they will miss from being at home. Are they worried they won’t get to spend as much time with you? Reassure them and continue to make time for this once school resumes.
- Children who have to get to school by themselves might be nervous if they haven’t done this for a long time. Practise the journey with them beforehand, or go with them on the first day back.
- Suggest they make a list of feel good activities to do when they’re having a bad day. They could choose a reward for themselves, too. Or make a soothing box to fill with items they like the look, smell, touch or taste of.
- If your child is refusing to go back to school, do some reading on how to cope with this.
Sometimes anxious feelings can seem overwhelming or even cause panic attacks. There are lots of activities you can try in our emotional wellbeing section.