Staring back to school can be difficult for children. Often the start of a new school year brings anxiety, stress, or a decrease in confidence. Each school year brings about a variety of changes: a new teacher, new schedule, new subjects, new kids in the classroom, maybe even a new school. Think about how you might feel if you were facing this many changes! Do you remember how you felt when you started a new job or moved to a new city? It can be scary and overwhelming.
Your child is likely facing many mixed emotions and may feel unable to handle them. All of these changes and emotions can make for a difficult time after school. If you are like me, the goal is for your children to come home from school, sit down, and start homework before doing anything fun. Get the worst part out of the way right? But is that what you want to do after coming home from a long, hard day at work? Especially if you just started new job? Most likely you need a few minutes to yourself, or some time to sit down and relax.
What if you created a “relax bag” for your child? Maybe even one for yourself. When you get home from school (or work) take a few minutes, even just 5 is helpful, 10-20 is more ideal and just relax! Here’s an idea for what you might put in a child’s relax bag (also check out the image below!):
Calm down bottle • Journal • Stress ball • Pillow • Music • Bubbles • Puzzle
And don’t forget a snack!
And don’t forget a snack!
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