Helping Your Child Manage New Teacher Worries
In our last post, we explored why children might feel anxious about new teachers. Now, let's look at some practical strategies to help your little one cope with these worries.
1. Label That Thought!
Encourage your child to give their anxious thoughts a label. When they're worrying, they can say, "Oh, I'm having a 'what if' thought right now." This simple act can help them step back and not get caught up in the worry spiral.
2. The 'What If' List
Sit down together and make a list of all the 'what if' thoughts your child is having. For example:
Writing these thoughts down can make them less scary and more manageable.
3. Butterfly Hug
This is a lovely, soothing exercise for anxious moments:
This simple action can help calm the body and mind.
4. Positive 'What Ifs'
Balance out those worrying thoughts by coming up with positive 'what ifs':
5. One Day at a Time
Remind your child that they don't need to figure everything out at once. Encourage them to focus on just one day, or even one hour, at a time.
Remember, it's normal for children (and adults!) to feel a bit anxious about new situations. By practising these techniques together, you're giving your child valuable tools to manage their worries, not just about school, but in all areas of life.
If you like this, come and find lots of resources and support in the Learnful Family. We meet once a month online to share practices, tips and a have a chat about parent self-regulation. I'd love to see you :-)
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