Easing Your Daughter’s Back to School Anxieties

Back to school is an exciting time for the whole family. To make sure everything goes super smoothly, a certain amount of preparation should be something parents might want to think about before school starts or just as school begins.

Your daughter – whether she is entering middle school or high school – is surely having some back to school anxieties. Will she make friends? Will she know her way around school? Is she wearing the right outfit? These are all questions that might be running through her mind before that first day or even during her first few weeks. Preparing her for those back to school anxieties is a good preventative measure for any more serious worries down the line.

Prepping for back to school

Here are a few things you can do to help your daughter prevent any back to school anxieties:

1. Getting her involved in after school activities: Extracurriculars like sports, theatre, choir, and band can be great ways for your daughter to make friends and learn a new skill. Getting involved in student life might get your daughter out of her shell and excited about going to school every day!
2. Talk to her about what she is worried about: Your daughter might be hiding how she is truly feeling about going back to school. Have a conversation with her about things she should expect from the new school year.
3. Have her take a tour of campus beforehand: This is especially for parents whose daughters are attending a new school. By walking around the school right at the end of summer, your daughter will have a good idea of where her classes will be.
4. Make sure she gets to bed early: Getting enough sleep can help her feel more calm  on those first few days. Falling asleep in class is a no no.
5. Having family dinners: Having everyone sit down for a meal during the school year is a good opportunity to have a conversation with your daughter about her day. Feeling like she has a routine every day can help your daughter feel more balanced and less stressed out in general.

Asheville Academy can help

If your daughter’s back to school anxieties have turned into school refusal or generalized anxiety disorder, Asheville Academy can help.

Asheville Academy, a residential treatment center in a traditional school setting for girls 10-14, helps teen girls struggling with anxiety, depression and other emotional and behavioral issues. If your daughter is struggling, consider sending her to Asheville Academy, a therapeutic boarding school. With a caring staff and a clinically based program, Asheville Academy can help your daughter find success