Not to worry: Combating the first-day-of-school jitters

Uncertainty. Anxiety. Excitement.

A clash of emotions is not uncommon in the days leading up to the first day of school, a Western University expert in child psychology says.

“There are a lot of students that really have a range of feelings about the return back-to-school,” said Colin King, an associate professor with the faculty of education at Western and a registered school and child clinical psychologist.

“I think there is uncertainty and anxiousness, but I think that is offset by and infused with excitement and perhaps some curiosity about what those first weeks are going to bring.”

Tea first day of school for both the Thames Valley and London District Catholic school boards is Wednesday because Tuesday is a professional development day for teachers.

Parents, King said, need to slow down to have conversations with their kids about going back to school and take the time to explore their feelings.

“I think there is a real tendency for caregivers to jump in and fix things or to alleviate some of that discomfort,” he said. “I think slowing things down to be curious about their worry and sitting and validating those feelings and why those feelings make sense, helping kids get skills and language for how they are feeling.”

King suggests reaching out to the child’s school if they know their child will struggle going back to school to get help and direction from the board’s mental health professionals.

Lucas Andersen, student mental health lead for the Thames Valley District school board, said the board puts a strong focus on that topic of “back to school worries.

“One of the things we’ve noticed coming out of the pandemic is that coming back to school and, especially for students entering our system – so Grade 1 or kindergarten or high school – this can be a really tough time,” he said.

He advises parents “to be able to check in with your children to see how they are feeling and how they might be doing emotionally before the school year begins.

“It opens up a doorway to share that information that may be really difficult to talk about. It’s hard to say, ‘I’m struggling to go back to school.’”

With all the development going on in a child’s body and brain “it can produce a lot of anxiety coming back to school,” Anderson said

“You don’t know what to expect, you may be in a new environment, meeting new friends and a new social situation.”

Much of the first week of school at the Thames Valley board, the region’s largest, will focus on “mental health and the development of relationships and wellbeing,” education director Mark Fisher said.

“For the first three days, the focus is on building positive relationships between the adults in school and students,” he said. “Getting to know one another so students feel protected and safe and aware of all the support that is available for them.

“Well-being is essential for students to learn.”

In Ontario, young people reach out to Kids Help Line most often about anxiety, stress, depression, relationships, suicide ideation and isolation, crisis responder coach Tylene McFarlane said.

The crisis line has seen an 18 per cent rise in interactions with young people from the same time last year, she said.

“The main thing we can do is just listen,” McFarlane said.

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