A summer of baseball, bike-riding and basking in the sunshine is almost in the rearview mirror, and that first day of school is right up the road – good news to some and dreadful news to others. Children of all ages have apprehensions about school, but they don’t have to. Dr. Michelle Kees, a psychiatrist with the University of Michigan Health System, offers her advice for keeping the school outlook as bright as a new pair of sneakers:
Elementary School Children
Parents of first-time or young students often are nervous, and their kids can pick up on that. Keep things comfortable by talking about expectations and feelings. A shopping trip for supplies is both a relaxed and relevant forum for conversation. Having friends in the class also helps to reduce anxiety. Any persisting signs should disappear soon after classes begin.
Middle School Children
Pre-teens may experience as much social pressure during their middle school years as they do academic pressure, and a decrease in openness with parents may make anxiety not as easy to pick up on. Parents should use a change in or reasoning for certain behaviors as a focal point for conversation and to share feelings. A lethargic, withdrawn attitude may be signs of a more serious problem, such as depression.
High School Children
Teenagers can feel very overwhelmed with the pressure to fit in and succeed academically. Their reluctance to talk is all the more reason for parents to keep open lines of communication and an interest in their friends and activities, which may help teens open up. Headaches, dizziness and nausea may be signs of anxiety issues, and shifts in behavior, academic performance and socialization could be signs of depression.
Kids who are reluctant to go to school don’t just wish for extra hours under the covers. Teasing or difficulty learning could lead to school anxiety. Open talks between parents and children can help keep anxiety from becoming a problem, but if it persists they should turn to the school or a medical professional for help.
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
Raw: Tornadoes Spotted in Kansas
Twiggy, the Water Skiing Squirrel
Sailor Surprises His Mom At Her CU Denver Graduation Ceremony
Official: ‘Amazing’ No One Was Killed In CT Train Crash
Coffee Stop Leads To Arrest Of YouTube Sensation Wanted For Murder
Bearded Dragon Reunited With Owner
Marine Reunited with Warzone Companion
Beyonce Is Pregnant!
SF baseball player overpaid $500,000 RETURNS money -- and team says KEEP IT
Dad returns from Afghanistan, surprises family during Rays' first pitch
See Jennifer Lopez's New $10m Hamptons Mansion
Woman tricked into taking abortion pill
Emma Watson Goes Pantless
IRS scandal: Republicans seek to tie Obama to agency's woes
Play of the Day: Flipping to Safety
Pregnant Kim Kardashian Squeezes Her Swollen Feet Into Stilettos
Top Videos of the Week: Angry Taco Bell Guy, Glacier Moves on House, Dog Hates Baths
