The return to classes this year is marked by the return to face-to-face attendance, which implies that schoolchildren meet again with their classmates and teachers that they had not seen for a long time as a result of the pandemic.
It is very common for them to present both physical and emotional symptoms, such as tantrums, anxiety, irritability and emotional sensitivity, he says. susana saravia, a child and adolescent psychologist at Clínica Universidad de los Andes, since for some children it can be very stressful. Regarding the physical behaviors «may include dysregulation of the sleep-wake cycle and fatigue»Explain.
To help prevent these situations, the specialist provides some practical advice to parents:
- • Highlight the positive side of going back to school: refer positively to the return to school and the progress that the child has in his adaptation process.
- • Get actively involved: ask them how it went and how they felt, to give them a space where they can deposit their emotions.
- • Recover routines and schedules: adjust the time to get up and go to bed, it can be advancing bedtime 15 minutes and getting up so that they get used to the routine quickly. It is also good to include environmental cues that allow you to predict that it will soon be bedtime, for example, progressively reduce the use of screens, listen to songs to sleep, turn off the lights earlier, etc.
- • Investigate expectations and promote family dialogue around issues related to going back to school: Ask them how they feel and what their expectations are about it. Show them that you are available to help.
- • The ritual: Given that the thinking of a child in school is characterized by being concrete, it is important to prepare the backpack together, leave the uniform, shoes and snack ready for the first few days.
- • Avoid stress in the mornings: The more chores you get done in the evenings, the less hassle your mornings will be, like snacks and gym bags. This prevents unnecessary stress.
- • Encourage Social Invitations: It is recommended to encourage children to invite companions to the house, thereby establishing bonds with their peers. Thus, they are told that entering the school also involves maintaining recreational spaces.
- • Verbalize and validate your emotions: put into words what you feel and validate it, for example, “you are nervous, I understand you”. If the situation requires it, explain to him what is happening and help him find a solution. As parents, it is necessary to give time to connect with children in their adaptation process. The game for the schoolboy is one of the best ways.
- • Pay attention to goodbyes: For young children, one of the reasons for anxiety with entering school is the farewell. Structuring it, that is, always doing the same thing in order to generate a pattern, allows the child to order and make a distressing moment predictable. For example, have a special hug for those moments.