For children, going back to school after the holidays can be a challenging time. Suddenly, after having lots of free time, they’re suddenly faced with schedules and responsibilities again, and for some children this can become a major source of anxiety.

As parents, our instinct is often to jump in with reassurances such as ‘Everything will be fine once you get used to it again” or “You’re just worrying over nothing, everything will be ok”. However, such reassurances, although well-intended, often serve only to make the situation worse. It’s important that we allow our children to express their fears and worries. And rather than try to ‘fix’ things for them, it’s much more effective to simply say “I hear what you’re saying, and it’s totally normal to feel anxious and nervous about going back to school, just remember that it’s how we deal with those feelings that makes all the difference.” When children understand that their emotions are normal and that it’s okay to feel anxious and scared, then they are far less likely to allow themselves to be overwhelmed by them.