Summer Ready

For parents and caregivers looking to get a head-start on helping their child prepare for back-to-school, we asked our child and youth mental health workers for their advice on what steps you can take now to make things a little easier come September.

Download: 4 Expert Mental Health Tips to Help Kids Start Preparing for School this Summer

Télécharger: 4 conseils santé mentale d’experts pour aider les enfants à se préparer pour l’école cet été

4 Expert Mental Health Tips to Get a Head-Start on Back-to-School

1. Start now

For many kids, it’s normal that schedules and routines change over the summer. One thing you can start doing now is to ease into a more regular routine and start making your home environment more predictable. Consider gradually shifting bedtimes and wakeup times, reducing screen time, and ensuring mealtimes are happening at predictable times. All these things can help bring important routines back into your home.

2. Start talking about school

While none of us wants to rush the end of summer, it can be helpful to start having open conversations with your kids this summer about heading back to school. You could ask questions about what they might need to be successful at school or ask about any fears or concerns they might have. Brainstorming ways to work together as family could help your kids to feel safe and successful in the upcoming year. Some kids may also benefit from being able to visit the school through the summer. For younger kids, even regular visits to the school playground could help.

Try to keep conversations light. Consider initiating a back-to-school chat while on a drive to get groceries or doing an activity outdoors. These chats can be ongoing throughout the summer to check-in with your kids about how they’re feeling.

3. Brush up on social skills

Try to look for ways to incorporate socialization into your summer activities and ask how they’re feeling about their friendships. You could ask them about ways they feel comfortable connecting with friends. A question like “I know socializing is easier when you’re at school, but what are some ways you might like to connect with your friends through the summer?” can be a good way to start the conversation.

Not every kid has the opportunity to attend summer camps and socialize there. Encouraging regular visits to playgrounds, splashpads, or other places where kids are connecting safely such as BMX parks, basketball courts, etc., can be a great way to help them start navigating relationships with peers.

4. Check-in with yourself

As parents and caregivers, it’s also important that we check-in with ourselves! Are there fears we have about our child’s upcoming school year? Checking-in with ourselves and our own mental health will help us to be more aware of what we might be unknowingly projecting on to our kids. Read more tips about supporting parents and caregivers as our kids head back to school.

Don’t wait for September!

We don’t need to wait for September to start getting ready for school! All of these things can be done over the summer as a way to practice. It’s also a great time to start tapping into your child’s thoughts and concerns. If you’re already having these type of conversations and interactions now, then as you get closer to the start of the school year, you may be aware of some of the challenges and are already working on supporting your kids and setting them up for a successful school year.

Thank you!

Thank you to clinicians from EveryMind and HANDS The Family Help Network who lent their time and expertise to craft these tips to share with you and your family!

Back to School Questions and Answers

How can a parent or caregiver help a child who is feeling uncertain about the school year?

Parents can support their child by listening to their child’s concerns and validating their child’s emotions. If your child is upset or is anxious about the upcoming school year, take the time to understand what they’re feeling. Give them a chance to be heard and let them know that it’s normal to be feeling sad, anxious or worried. Read more…

Why are routines so important when it comes to going back to school?

Going from summer to a new school year can be really challenging, and a stressful time of the year for many families. Getting back into a routine a few days before school starts gives kids a chance to know what to expect. It gives families a chance to tweak something that maybe is not working with their routine, and it just gives them time to problem solve, before the first day of school. Read more…

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone.

If you are a parent/caregiver worried about your child, or a young person looking for help yourself – please reach out. Our network of child and youth mental health centres has 4,000 professionals ready to help children, youth and families with free counselling and treatment. We provide care in person, on the phone and virtually. No problem is too big or small.

Find your closest child and youth mental health centre.

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