TULSA, Okla. — Thousands of kids will be heading back to the classroom in the next couple of weeks, but a new school year can be scary and stressful so Family and Children’s Services is offering some advice to ease that stress.
It’s been a turbulent couple of years for students dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic — flip-flopping between virtual and in-person learning — the threat of school shootings and the dangers of social media. However, there are a few things you can do as a parent to set up your student to succeed.
When preparing for the school year, routine is important. Faith Crittenden is the Senior Program Director of Children’s Mental Health at FCS. She said the prep work starts at home.
“Getting them into a good pattern, predictable pattern at night. Like we’re gonna start going to bed at this time and we’re gonna wake up at this time so that their bodies reset after being off in the summer and schedules being kind of wonky," said Crittenden.
She said another big stressor for both students and parents is safety.
"It might also be helpful to know about safety protocols in place for your kiddos. So that when you’re sending them back into school you can help the kids understand how they’re safe, what the school is doing to keep them safe and just help remind them if they’re feeling super anxious about that," said Crittenden.
She said going back to school can be stressful for the whole family so it’s important to approach it as a team.
"I think it’s important to talk to your kids about the upcoming year, to be excited yourself about what they’re gonna be learning, how they’re going to be growing. To take them to those important back-to-school function is like meet-the-teacher or orientation. Get them familiar with the building, who their teacher is going to be and let them walk around the building, show them where the cafeteria is, the bathrooms, where their teacher’s classroom is, maybe where their locker is."
She said social media can also add a lot of pressure on students so she suggests talking to your kids about social media and keeping up with current online trends and apps.
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