BALTIMORE — As summer vacation comes to an end for students, the return to school can be a tough transition for some.
Whether your child is going off to school for the first time or they're returning for another year, the Back to School Blues are real.
Kids can become anxious about a new chapter in their lives, and Dr. Paige Seegan, assistant professor and licensed clinical psychologist with John's Hopkins School of Medicine, shows what signs to look out for and the best ways to help them overcome their anxiety.
"We see a lot of anxiety at different age levels, especially the young kiddos in preschool and early elementary school years. We see normal separation anxiety, getting used to new routines and new structures. That is fairly normal," says Seegan.
She points out a few ways to recognize anxiety among the little ones.
"For little kids, anxiety might might present in the form of stomach aches, headaches, or more physiological or physical symptoms, and we might also see some separation anxiety crying, not wanting to be without their caregiver, so like drop off and pick ups might be particularly emotional," says Seegan.
Students of all ages face different forms of anxiety.
For the middle and high school kids, they face different social and academic pressures.
"As we age and as kids get older and their brains develop more, we might see more sophisticated ways of expressing anxiety. That could be more like acting out, having problems more behaviorally, or we might see kids as especially in like adolescence, withdraw more and keep themselves more," says Seegan.
She says anxiety levels have increased throughout the years for many reasons. Some are due to the COVID pandemic and increase of social media.
"Going from in school in person to virtual, then back to in person, those are a lot of big switches—a lot of really important developmental periods for kiddos," says Seegan.
"Social media and digital media use has also been, in the recent years, linked to some increased stress and potential depression among you as well," says Seegan.
One way parents can help reduce anxiety for their children is to create a consistent routine.
Adults are also recommended to focus less on the outcome and more on praising kids effort, which Dr. Seegan says can help build their confidence.
Parents, if you see your child's struggling with anxiety, reach out to their teacher.
Teachers who feel their students' anxiety is a problem are recommended to reach out to the school counselor or school social worker.
