𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹

𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘸𝘰-𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 and manage returning to school.

After many long and draining weeks of learning from home, children across the UK are finally returning to school.

While weary parents may be glad to see the back of homeschooling, some children may find the transition from front room to classroom daunting.

After spending so much time at home, dealing with the hurly-burly of school life might prove challenging for young people.

Here are some back-to-school tips from the NSPCC and mental health charity Place2Be.

𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗧𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁

• Readjusting your child’s bed time is a perfect solution if your routine slipped during lockdown (and let’s face it, almost everybody’s did). By doing this, you’ll discover when they’re not tired when you get them up for school.

• Make sure that your child are not using any tablet or phone it close to bedtime as this will interfere with their sleep.

• Exercise and fresh air aid a good night’s sleep, so if your child is experiencing broken sleep or is feeling anxious, get outside in the great outdoors.

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻

• Talk to your child about how and why some things at school – such as lunchtime, playtime and PE – might be subject to different rules. Children are remarkably adaptable, but it’s worthwhile being upfront about the unusual situation in which we find ourselves.

• If your child struggles to express themselves, encourage them to draw, paint or write about what’s on their minds. Putting our thoughts down on paper can have a soothing effect and help put things into perspective.

• If returning to the classroom is making your child anxious, arrange to meet one of their friends on the way to school so that the two can chat before they get to the gates. Most likely, they’ll be so busy catching up with their mate that they’ll forget their nerves.

𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁

• Explore some relaxation tips, breathing exercises and games offer if your child seems stressed. Show them Childline’s Calm Zone (https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/calm-zone/).

• Second, if catching up on lost lesson time is proving difficult for your child and you’re considering hiring additional support, read the NSPCC’s safety tips (https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/away-from-home/sports-clubs-activities/#tutors_ for hiring a tutor before you do anything.

• Talk to a teacher or school counsellor if you feel concerned. Some parents feel embarrassed seeking mental health support for their child, but it’s okay to ask for help.

Charities that can help

The NSPCC – https://www.nspcc.org.uk/support-us/ways-to-give/donate

Place2Be – https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/parents-and-carers/

Childline – https://www.childline.org.uk/

𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙇𝙚𝙮𝙨𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙠, 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚.

𝗖𝗼𝗽𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝘆𝘀𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭