Communication important in working through back to school jitters: experts

Going back to school can be both an exhilarating and uneasy time.

It means breaking summer routines and getting into new patterns with new classmates, assignments and schedules.

That can cause a variety of emotions for both children and parents.

“As the summer comes to a close, there’s always a little bit of that anxiety and excitement about returning to the classroom,” said Anita Lethbridge-Gross, Holy Spirit Catholic School Division coordinator of counselling and wellness.

Lethbridge-Gross said it’s normal to feel this way, as the academic year approaches.

“Having a little bit of those jitters and perhaps some of those worries about returning to school is expected,” she said.

“It’s a huge change for kids,” said Jared Friesen, Youth One’s site director.

Youth One is a group providing mentorship-based support services for teens.

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Friesen sees firsthand the impact moving back into a classroom setting can have.

“We often see through these changes — especially coming back from COVID-19 — the stress that puts on comes out,” Friesen said.

Friesen believes the most important thing parents can do to help their kids manage the strain is communicating.

“That can make a world of difference,” Friesen said.

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“You can have an interaction with your student where you’re trying to find out about their day and they’re going to totally blow you off. But you’ve shown them — in investing the effort into asking — that you actually care.”

“When they have a voice and they have that opportunity to articulate what they’re worried about, we can begin to do some problem solving,” Lethbridge-Gross said.

Lethbridge-Gross recommends easing the transition by establishing a link with staff before the school year.

“Think about who is that person there is going to be that nice connection with,” Lethbridge-Gross said.

“I think in most cases it’s going to be those classroom teachers, but there’s all those other staff around that can be supports as well.”

Holy Spirit Catholic School Division students return to class Aug. 31, while those in the Lethbridge School Division begin returning Sep. 6.