Coaching Kids Back To School

Many children have loved being at home during the Covid lockdown. It has meant getting up later, not having to travel to and from school and being able to share lunch with family members. For some children, it has also meant no proper lessons or homework. On the flip side, there are lots of things they have missed that are really beneficial. Fun things like playground shenanigans and social interaction with peers. They may also have missed having more structure, being taught by a teacher in the same room and proper classroom discussions. Many children will have also missed their independence away from home-life. 

Preparing Children To Go Back to School After Lock-Down

Most children have been at home for around 2-3 months now, so how do parents move them from the comfort of their own home/bedroom to being back at school? Coaching them over the next few days could really help so they can start to prepare for returning to school. You could start by asking them…

• How they feel about going back to school?
• What are they most looking forward to?
• What are they dreading?
• How can we lower the anxiety of the things they dread?
• How can they get back into the routine of getting up earlier, preparing for their school day and get them ready to get back on a bus or walk to school?
• What changes feel too big for them to deal with right now? How can we help them address each one? They may still be worried about Covid.

We need to be talking to children now about the return to school so they can start to make practical changes like going to bed earlier, setting their alarm to get up and getting their head into a good place for school. 

There may be some hand-holding if your children are resistant to going back. Support them through the next few weeks, listen to their worries and set some time aside to address their fears. Be their coach and help them to find strategies and coping mechanisms to get back and adjusting to school life again.

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