5 Tips to Conquer Back-to-School Stress

Tell me you haven’t noticed…

Within the last several days, I’ve started to see a few telltale signs that summer is coming to a close. Empty bottles of sunscreen, a heap of sand in the back of my car, a grill that desperately needs cleaning and a pile of dirty, worn-out flip-flops by my backdoor – some of them don’t even belong to my kids.

With summer winding down, there’s something else I’ve started to notice… tension in the air.

With three kids, our back-to-school to-do lists are beginning to find their way into our conversations and, frankly, it’s making us all grouchy. Like it or not, in a couple of weeks we’ll be jumping back into the hectic school routine and, it’s pretty clear that not only are my kids not ready, but the stress of going back to school (online or in-person) is already kicking in.

For some kids, going back to school is a time to reunite with friends, get back into clubs and sports they’ve missed and a time to start revving up for the fun of fall football games. For other kids, the mere idea of getting back into the routine of school sparks serious feelings of apprehension and angst.

Whether your child is in middle school, high school or college, help them ease back-to-school stress and approach the new school year with a positive “can-do” attitude, by passing along these simple tips:

Step Back into a Routine

Kicking off the academic year would be far easier if we didn’t have to return to the relentless school routine. Get a head start and alleviate a whole lot of stress by encouraging your teen to slowly get back into their school schedule routine over the next couple of weeks. Avoid staying up too late chatting with friends or texting, and have them set their alarm a few minutes earlier every morning to get into the groove of getting up earlier. Even if they shave off  5 or 10 minutes of their slumber every morning over the next couple of weeks, by the time school starts it will be far easier for them to roll out of bed when that alarm goes off.

Get into the Mindset

After a summer filled with unstructured days, fun with friends and more than a few leisurely mornings sleeping in, the most difficult part of going back to school is getting into the mindset. Rather than waiting until the last minute (and hoping it will all go away), have your teen get a jumpstart on the year by making a list of things they need to get done before school starts. Things like tackling any summer homework they have left to complete, lining up a tutor if they anticipate a class might be challenging and, if possible, glancing over the syllabus of future classes so they can get an idea of what to expect in the coming year will make it easier to gear up and prepare for what’s ahead.

Go on a Back-to-School Shopping Spree

Get yourself psyched for school by buying yourself a few new things that will make you feel better about yourself and make the school year more manageable.

Whether it’s those Nike athletic shoes you’ve been eyeing, that new pair of jeans that’s all the rage, a new laptop to make writing those essays easier or that cool calculator that’s sure to help you pass Calculus, as opposed to dreading going back to school, make it fun by rounding up your friends and hitting the stores.

Set Goals

Every school year brings new challenges, but it also brings new opportunities. Have your teen give some thought to how this year is going to be better than last year. Maybe this year they’d like to join a club, try out for a sport, shoot for an internship or make new friends. They shouldn’t get too goal crazy or it will become overwhelming and they won’t achieve any of them. Encourage them to choose a select few that are important to them, have them write them down and put them somewhere visible where they can see them every day. Then, inspire them to challenge themselves to reach their goals!

Treat Yourself to a Little End of Summer Fun

With just a few short weeks left of summer, chances are there are a few things on your teen’s summer bucket list that, for one reason or another, they haven’t had a chance to do. Now’s the time to squeeze in that last-minute summer fun. Maybe they can hit the pool or amusement park with their friends, take a last-minute trip to the beach, go camping or hiking, throw a party with their besties or just be lazy and hang out and watch Netflix with their friends.

By planning a few fun things they can look forward to and making the most of these last few weeks of summer, it will help them take their mind off of the fact that summer is winding down and fend off their back-to-school worries and stress.