Back to School
Hello Brentwood Park families! Welcome back to a new school year! I am excited to be back at Brentwood Park this year as the school counsellor with my days at the school being the same (Tuesday-Friday). We have many returning families, some that have moved on to other schools, and some new families that we welcome to the Brentwood Park School community. With a week of summer break left, I am sure that many of us are anticipating going back to school. For some this is an exciting time, and for others this can be a sad or worrisome time (adults and children alike!) My two boys are moving on to new schools this year- one to middle school and the other to high school. They are both feeling excited for a new adventure, but also nervous about what is to come. These are very normal feelings to have, and as parents/caregivers we can support our children with the change. Even if your child isn’t new to the school, going back to the routine of school and being away from home for the day is going to be a change.
As parents/caregivers, we can start to prepare our children for back to school now. One suggestion is taking your child to the school playground. You can talk about the upcoming year and all of the things that your child is looking forward to this year. Another suggestion is slowly moving your child’s bedtime back to a more appropriate time for school. This is always a struggle in my house so I try to push it back by 15 minutes each day the week before school starts. I also start waking up my children at a reasonable time in the morning this week so that they can get used to earlier wake ups- myself included 🙂 Lastly, it is a great idea to involve your child with back to school preparation- whether it be clothing shopping, supplies shopping, or planning lunches. This helps your child to feel more in control and excited about what is to come.
Most children will adjust to the school routine quite quickly, while a few will have a difficult time separating from their parents/caregiver. This may last just the initial day or it may take your child a little longer to settle in- this is perfectly normal. There are things that we can do as parens/caregivers to ease this transition. First, it is important to be calm as the parent/caregiver and assure your child that they are going to be well taken care of at school and that you will be back at the end of the day. When you say goodbye it is helpful to have a short ritual that you do each day (for example: say, “You are going to have a great day with your friends and your teacher. I will be here at 3:00pm to pick you up. I love you,” and then follow it up with a hug). It is important to be consistent with this ritual and it is also important that you are waiting for your child at the time that you stated since this builds trust and safety for your child. Second, your child can choose a comfort item from home to bring to school (this could be a stuffie, a family photo, or a note from home). This connection between home and school can be very helpful for children. Once your child starts to feel more comfortable at school and knows that you are going to be back to pick them up- the worries start to subside. Occasionally, children can have bouts of separation anxiety. To learn more about this and steps to manage this, please check out the Anxiety Canada website: https://www.anxietycanada.com/disorders/separation-anxiety-in-children/
If you have any questions, concerns, or just want to say “hi” please feel free to email me at: jolene.carlsen@burnabyschools.ca. Have a wonderful last week of summer vacation and I look forward to seeing you next week 🙂