Back to School Anxiety .. and Opportunities

It's back-to-school time again, and we all know what that means. It can be a time of joy. (Can't wait to see friends again! Looking forward to learning new things.) Or a time of sadness (Summer is over already! My kids are growing up too fast.) Or a time of anxiousness. (What will my teachers be like? Will I make any new friends?) Most likely, it will be a combination of all these feelings.

Back-to-school anxiety is common, but for families with school-age children who have learning differences or a brain difference of any kind, these transitions can be especially difficult. 

Establishing routines can help take some of the anxiety out of the transition. When we know what to expect next, it takes the fear out of the unexpected. Here’s a helpful list of how to prepare and set up successful routines for the new school year.

For college students, the transition is one of the biggest of their lives. Factor in a learning difference or mental illness, and it can add to the challenge. Here are some excellent tips for college students with mental illness from The Mighty.

In our house, there is a lot of talking through the transition – what to expect, where to get help/support, who is on “your team” and what resources are available. You can imagine how my adult children feel about that!

One of the things I’ve always loved about this time of year is that it can be a fresh start – with new teachers, new classes, new activities, new friends and new opportunities filled with all kinds of new possibilities.

And that makes the added stress a little easier to handle.

Who is on YOUR team?
 
Thinking of you,

Kristi

Kristi Horner
Founder and Executive Director