Back-to-school tips for parents of students dealing with anxiety

Back-to-school tips for parents of students dealing with anxiety
Back-to-school tips for parents of students dealing with anxiety
Published: Aug. 8, 2024 at 7:12 PM CDT
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EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - For much of the Tri-State, school is back in session and your child may be experiencing some anxiety with school.

Emma Nicholls is a clinical psychologist at EasterSeals who lays out the 4 R’s that parents and guardians can do to help children with back-to-school anxiety.

The first R is Recognize help a child label the anxiety they are feeling. If a child keeps asking the same questions, they might be anxious about the topic of concern and need help recognizing it.

The second R is Relax. It is to help a child find ways to relax and learn to calm down. Deep breaths are a great technique to start.

The third R is to Redirect. Redirecting focuses energy on something else to help get their mind off whatever is making them anxious.

The fourth and final R is Reframing.

“That helps your child know that you understand that you’re hearing them, but also reframing in a positive way,” said Nicholls. “Well, you’re worried about that because you care about that.”