Children need our help teaching them how to melt school anxiety. The most common signs of school anxiety are a change in sleep patterns, physical symptoms like a change in appetite, or asking alot of “what if “ questions. Here are three ways you can support your child and grow their self-confidence:
1. Reframe “smart.”
There are many ways to be smart. And, your child’s ultimate success life is not solely determined by their performance relative to their grade-level.
Work with your child to make a list of strengths that have nothing to do with grades. Consciously affirm and reinforce them to keep optimistic thoughts top-of-mind.
2. One-size-does-not fit all.
Figure out your child’s learning style with a quiz. It’s fun to have the whole family take a quiz, to make it clear that there is more than one learning style.
Once you know your child’s learning style, you can better support their individual strengths and find more opportunities for growth in and out of the classroom.
3. Help them with their “anticipatory anxiety.”
A child’s mind with anticipatory anxiety is a mind full of “what if’s.” What if my teacher does not like me? What if I cannot see the blackboard? What if I just don’t understand?
When you help our child bring those worries to the surface and name them, you can acknowledge their fear and then help them build coping tools. For instance:
- Teach them to reframe their fear, if possible, and develop positive reframes.
- Visit school during off-hours to practice classroom changes.
- Set up a parent-teacher-child conference and bring their what-if questions to the meeting.
Here’s a great, in-depth article with action steps. As you strive to melt school anxiety, take your child’s concerns seriously and watch their feeling of safety and security blossom.
Good luck! And remember, progress over perfection.
