SMB Child Counsellors Offer Advice for Back to School Anxiety
Why don’t most schools in Nova Scotia have child counsellors or therapists ready for when our children need help?
Mental health issues begin with our children but yet we wait for crisis to develop in our schools before we look for solutions. In an increasingly fast-paced and demanding world, mental health is a crucial aspect of overall well-being, especially at the school level where most children are trying to figure things out.
Anxious feelings are normal and expected during the school year or even before your children start back to school. This is to be expected during times of transition or change for our children. Anxiety can be a real thing for children of all ages including teens going back to school or for first-timers starting out in kindergarten.
This transition back to school can be not only stressful but disruptive for the whole family, not just mom and dad! Prior to the first day of school, the younger ones may cling to you, sometimes cry, or even have temper tantrums. Older ones tend to complain about headaches or stomach pains often withdrawing and becoming sad or irritable.
Book a counselling appointment with one of our professional child counsellors or teen counsellors (902) 266-3311
SMB Child Counsellors and Teen Counsellors Can Help
Child counsellors at SMB Counselling can help by offering sound advice for families for the return to school. When children return to classes this Fall in Nova Scotia, it will be increasingly important for parents to address any concerns that their kids may have before starting class.
First off, try to obtain as many facts about what is going on with your child’s school and then communicate any activities, plans, and lessons that may be taught throughout the school year.
Invite your children to ask questions about the school, their classmates or even teachers to keep a check on their mental health. Let us know if you want to book an online counselling session and we will arrange a mental health workshop if it helps.
Worry and anxiety are normal and quite common amongst school age children. Young school age children and teens tend to worry about every day issues like friends, teachers, social things like fitting in, or being away from their parents for too long.
Some common anxiety issues with school age children may include:
- Who will be my new teacher?
- What if my new teacher is mean?
- Will any of my friends be in my class?
- Will I fit in?
- Are my clothes OK?
- Will I look stupid?
- Who will I sit with at lunch?
- What if I miss the bus?
- What if I can’t understand the new schoolwork?
Keeping a Check on Mental Health?
As a parent, keeping a check on the mental health of your child is your priority. But sometimes it is necessary to reach out to a professional for extra advice. That is why at SMB Counselling, we can offer the professional help of our therapists or teen counsellors to help with any issues that may crop up during or before the school year starts.
In person counselling sessions are quote common here at SMB Counselling but feel free to setup an online counselling session from the comfort of your own home, if that works better for you.
We often advise parents to set a regular time each week to listen to your child or teenagers concerns. Let them express themselves in whatever way is most comfortable for them. If they are not comfortable talking about what is bothering them, encourage them to write it down in a journal and share their thoughts in a way they feel most comfortable.
Often doing interactive activities with your child together can often stimulate conversation. This may take the pressure off your child and will allow you to deal with any issues by playing or talking in a more natural way.
Another way of finding out what is going on with our children, is by getting them to express themselves artistically. Encourage them to write a poem, play a song, or paint a picture in order to communicate in their own way what may be troubling them.
There are many benefits of working with a therapist in Nova Scotia. Let us know how we can help!
What are the signals that something is off?
One signal that something may be off with your child is their behavior changes or a significant period of time, noticeable most times after school when they get home. To therapists or child counsellors, this is an indicator that they may be struggling to adjust with school work, a particular subject, or school activity or person.
A drop in school assessments is another indicator that something may be troubling your child. Often a prolonged decrease in their desire to do good work, complete assignments, or partake in certain activities is a general flag that something is wrong.
With the help of our trained professionals at SMB Counselling in Bedford NS, our child therapists and teen counsellors offer a safe space for children and parents to explore their thoughts and issues. The well being of the whole family is our main concern.
Whether it’s you or your children that are facing daily struggles, we are here to lend and ear and help find a path back to where life was normal for you and your family. Life is hard with many obstacles, but with our help, it doesn’t have to be.
Tips For Parents Who Worry About Their School Age Children
- Validate your children’s feelings – validate how they are feeling and tell them it’s ok to feel that way
- Talk about what to expect in school – discuss routine changes, kids like predictability
- Reassurance – can make a child feel better, continue to answer questions and concerns
- Book and movies – there are many books & movies that discuss things like how it’s ok to have fear
- Rewarding – rewards can be anything from an enjoyable experience to a small material reward
- Disruptive Behavior – usually happens when they wants to avoid an uncomfortable situation
It’s important to note that anxiety is normal. But if worry and anxiety is affecting your child’s day to day functionality, don’t hesitate to reach out and we’d be happy to set up a counselling session to try and address any issues.
Our SMB in person counsellors or online counsellors in Bedford NS are committed to your privacy and safety, so you can share your thoughts and feelings in a space you always know is free from judgment. This allows us to provide you with the strategies to address all your mental health concerns, so you can move forward into your best life.
You have the option of booking an appointment and coming into our Bedford Nova Scotia office, but for your convenience, we also offer online counselling appointments anywhere in Halifax, Bedford, Dartmouth, Sackville, or anywhere else in the province of Nova Scotia.
To book your individual counselling appointment with one of our professional SMB counsellors reach out at any time (902) 266-3311