OSIM News 2023 Sep

Although September's back-to-school season should bring relief to most parents, as they no longer have to worry about daytime activities, it's understandable to feel concerned and empathetic when seeing children feeling down or anxious due to the end of the long holiday. Keep reading to learn about these 5 tips to alleviate your child's back-to-school anxiety!

Tip 1: Foster Anticipation For School

When children return to school after the holidays, even in the same environment, separation anxiety can easily arise. Crying before or at the school gate is a common occurrence. To address your child's separation anxiety, you can help them start looking forward to going to school. During the initial phase of the school year, encourage your child to recall the happy moments they had at school before. Ask them to think about the fun people, scenario, and things at school and what they want to do there tomorrow. This not only builds anticipation for school and reduces separation anxiety but also gives your child motivation to get up in the morning.

Tip 2: Divide Learning Into Segments To Navigate The Chaotic Start

During the summer break, children have the freedom to do as they please, and suddenly having to face academic responsibilities can be challenging and overwhelming. When faced with this situation, if you try to lecture your child to quickly get motivated to do their homework but they still struggle to concentrate, it often ends in arguments. To avoid this, you can try the approach of "segmenting principle". Divide the homework into many small segments and let your child take a break to play after completing each segment as a reward. Don't worry about it making your child less focused because there have been experimental results showing that children will actually request to finish their homework before playing.

Tip 3: Reduce Stress Together Through Parent-Child Exercise

Children often need about a month to adjust to a new school year and environment. As a parent, you can encourage your child to engage in outdoor activities with you. A medical study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has shown that exercise can consume "stress hormones" and promote the secretion of endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in the brain, making children feel happier. Additionally, exercising together enhances parent-child interaction, and children are more willing to share and discuss their school experiences with you, allowing you to accompany them through the various changes and challenges in life. You can also involve your child in preschool game groups, which increase their opportunities for social interaction and facilitate their adaptation to group life on campus.

Tip 4: Get To Know The Campus Early And Learn Self-Management

Sometimes, children feel anxious about going back to school because the new school year brings a lot of uncertainty, such as unfamiliar classmates, teachers, and new subjects, which can lead to a lack of security. To overcome back-to-school anxiety, you can try getting to know the campus early and strengthening your child's self-management skills. For example, you can study the class schedule with your child one to two weeks in advance, use a game-like approach to follow the classroom arrangements, and encourage your child to practice tasks like organizing their stationery and books. This helps build their confidence in problem-solving and facing new environments.

Tip 5: Parents, Take Care of Yourselves And Adjust Emotions

If you've tried the previous four tips but your child still feels anxious about going to school? It's important to recognize that children's anxiety is often influenced by their parents' anxiety. Therefore, as a parent, you can also adjust your mindset and thoughts, accompany them in learning to cope with stress and anxiety, and develop skills to manage emotions. Moreover, younger children especially need to learn how the people around them manage their emotions.

OSIM New Nov 2023

Taking care of children on a daily basis can be exhausting, leading to insufficient sleep and increased stress, making it difficult to regulate emotions. According to Dr. Meredith Broderick, a sleep medicine specialist certified in sleep medicine, neurology, and behavioral sleep medicine, lack of sleep can lead to irritability, anxiety, and emotional changes. So, if parents want to adjust their mindset, investing in sleep is crucial to address the root of the problem. Consider using the OSIM uMist Dreams Humidifier to create a conducive sleep environment. With its silent ultrasonic technology, it disperses water into ultra-fine mist, rapidly increasing indoor humidity and preventing moisture loss from the skin, eyes, throat, and nasal passages. This is particularly suitable for environments where air conditioning is frequently used, effectively enhancing overall sleep quality.

5 Tips To Ease Children's Back-to-School Anxiety

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