LifeSkills Children’s Services Clinical Director Katie Hopper wanted to reach out to caregivers, kids, and school staff with some helpful ideas for a less hectic, more enjoyable school year. She asked therapists, case managers and family peer support staff to submit some of their most beneficial tips. We’ve compiled those into some lists that you might want to cut out, laminate and hang on your fridge.

“Some of these ideas apply more to the start of the school year.” Hopper said. “But most of them can be used throughout the year to help make your surroundings remain more organized and peaceful.”

Ideas for caregivers preparing for a new school year

Be patient – Children are going through many changes at the start of a new school year and any change in routine can be overwhelming to them. They may need some additional time to adjust. With change often comes anxiety and worry, as well as excitement, which can lead to new behaviors and changes within the children themselves. If you have an overly-anxious child, ask the school if you can take them on a private walk-through of their class schedule to familiarize them with the layout and route they will need to travel daily.

Get bus schedules – Check with your school’s transportation departments on bus picks up, drop offs and the times for both. Families with kids in both elementary and middle/high school may have different locations and times.

Stay connected – attend open houses, family and other school events, and parent teacher conferences. Open the communication line with your children’s teachers and stay in touch! This will increase their connection and it keeps you in the loop for important things. Sign up for notifications from your school. Infinite Campus is a helpful tool for monitoring grades and attendance – get with your schools to sign up!

Stay positive – This is extremely important because kids will mimic the vibes around them. If you are negative about school, they will be, too.

Structure routines – Regular bedtimes wake-up times and general routines for before and after school can help kids acclimate to the back-to-school schedule. Limited screen time is strongly encouraged.

Talk to your kids – Don’t just ask about their day – they’ll almost always have a limited answer of “good” or “bad.” Ask them to tell you about the best part of their day. Or what was something interesting they learned or did? Who did they play with or sit at lunch with today? What was the hardest part about today? This can help them think about their days and learn how to tell you about things that are going well, but also if they are struggling. It’s easy to pick out and focus on the hard parts of a day and forget about the good stuff.

Ideas for kids and teens preparing for a new school year

Stay on top of things. Don’t fall behind – This is part of self-care. Create a schedule, give yourself time to work on homework or other things that have deadlines. That way there will be time to do the fun things. Not getting behind will lead to less overall anxiety.

Stay organized – adults can help you find a system to keep up with homework and projects and tests so you don’t fall behind. Staying ahead of the game can ease stress instead of procrastinating.

Familiarize yourself with your class schedule – During Open House, focus on where your classes are and visit them in order so you know where to go after each class; just remember that everyone else is nervous, too and you are not alone.

Feed the machine – Your brain cannot function if it doesn’t have the energy it needs. Don’t skip breakfast or lunch. These meals give you energy to make it through the day.

Do your Best – Get in the habit of doing your very best every day.

Big deep breaths – School can be overwhelming, and so are changes. Taking some big deep breaths is not a cure all, but it can help.

Be kind – You never know what some of your peers are going through – kindness can spread as quickly as it is given. Remember to be kind to yourself, as well.

Ideas for School Staff preparing for a new school year

Remember Self-Care – Teachers and other school staff must wear many different hats to meet the needs of their students, so it is important for staff to remember that they cannot pour out of an empty cup. Set boundaries to ensure a proper work/life balance to prevent burnout, compassion fatigue, and to ensure that you are the best version of yourself that you can be.

Be prepared to hand out grace where it is needed – Get to know and understand your students that need more individualized support and intervention. There is often a reason for the behaviors you are seeing in class; understanding the function of those behaviors can help you in your approach with the student.

Communicate regularly with caregivers – Provide clear expectations and goals throughout the year. Create a welcoming environment for students by being open to questions and willing to listen to students.

Recommended Additional Resources

Anything by Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, especially her book “The Deepest Well: Healing the long-term effects of childhood adversity

Any of the websites below may be helpful or, conduct your own search for “Helping Kids with Anxiety,” or “How Adults can help kids deal with change.”

•https://www.education.com/ – Fun website with activities, exercises and more to make learning fun!

•https://youtu.be/1XYoduQMAjU – Affirmations song that is fun and helpful!

•https://www.youtube.com/@TheMindfulnessTeacher – YouTube channel with helpful short videos to practice mindfulness through breathing and movement – perfect for use at home or in the classroom!

•https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/ – CDC website with lots of great resources for supporting the mental health of children

•https://www.pcaky.org – Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky – lots of great resources for parents and the community on child abuse prevention, trainings and events.

– Maureen Mahaney coordinates public information for LifeSkills Inc., a nonprofit, behavioral health care corporation that plans for and serves the people of southcentral Kentucky in three main areas: mental health, addiction and developmental disabilities. Her column appears monthly.