4 causes of back-to-school anxiety your kids haven’t told you about

Back to school anxiety gets real in the last few weeks of summer. And we get it: It’s a shift back into routine, it’s a return to rules, early-morning wakeups and sanctions. It’d make anyone a little nervous— but are there some big causes of back to school anxiety that we’re still missing out on, because kids are anxious to mention them and as parents, we’re just plain out of the loop?

We’re exploring the big 4 of these hidden giants today, and sharing some tips on how to approach them with the learners in our lives.

#1: ?? Reading gets… really hard in September, actually.

Young learners lose up to 20% of last year’s reading gains over the holidays . And that makes it far harder to jump into the new year with enthusiasm.

And that means many will already associate this time of year with feeling daunted, upset or over-challenged, which can make anyone feel anxious during the last two weeks of the holiday.

It’s a difficult one to combat, but make sure you ask the right questions about reading needs and reading support in the new term . You can also try our list of tips to keep them reading over summer as best you can !

#2: ?? It can be socially tough for them when their stuff isn’t ‘right’.

We’re still riding out the cost of living crisis, and so many families will be sending kids back to school in September with what they can afford instead of this year’s must-have items. That makes some kids feel socially anxious: unfortunately, it’s still not unusual for those with old, too-small or off-brand items to be the victims of peer pressure and bullying.

This one’s tricky. Sticking to your budget is important, but try to involve learners in the process and let them pick things like school supplies, bags and accessories themselves: even if you can’t drop ￡40 on a water tumbler (who can?!), they’ll still feel more in control from having autonomy over those choices and putting together their own back-to-school style.

#3: ?? Their friendship group is changing and they’re scared

It’s rare that friendship groups transition to secondary classrooms and colleges intact: groups and individuals split off along the way to pursue other learning opportunities or cut down on travel time. And when that happens, learners lose some of their comfort zones. That’s anxiety-inducing: not only are they changing stages and taking on new learning challenges, but they’re losing some of the people who made them feel safe in the previous one. It’s natural to approach this with a little fear, especially as FOMO has such a large impact on today’s teenagers .

Remind learners that as they grow up, they’ll make social bonds at every stage— maybe use your own friendships as an example. And try to explain that a split in their immediate peer group doesn’t mean they’ll never see those people again, especially when it’s so easy to connect on the phone and social media now.

There are new friendships just around the corner, too!

#4: ?? Putting the mask back on is soooo tiring…

If learners have neurodivergent conditions that impact how they act and perceive in an interpersonal setting (i.e. they’re Autistic, or have ADHD), the social pressures of heading back school can be daunting. They’ve just spent 6 weeks in a more self-led setting, and then all of a sudden they’re thrown back into constant demands on their attention, social battery, and a huge pressure to mask.

Of course, they’re potentially experiencing anxiety about that, as well as a whole other cocktail of complex emotions like fear, resentment, and exhaustion.

Make sure to talk things out where kids feel comfortable doing so, and that schools and SENCOs are kept well-informed about any social-emotional issues and low moods, as well as those everyday needs for learning support.