School anxiety can look different depending on the student’s age group.
For preschoolers, it may have more to do with separation anxiety and a fear of being away from mom, dad, or other caregivers. This may result in tantrums at school drop-off and trouble relaxing throughout the day.
By elementary school, school anxiety could be related to any of the above types of anxiety.
A student this age may not yet have developed age-appropriate social skills and may have anxiety about school as a result, or they may spend excessive time worrying about academic expectations — to the extent of not wanting to go.
Middle schoolers are beginning to develop a social hierarchy that can result in an increase in bullying and various friendship turmoil, all of which can contribute to school anxiety.
And by high school, students may be juggling problems in their home lives and within their friendships and relationships, alongside mounting responsibilities like holding down a job and trying to achieve good grades for college.
At all there ages, school anxiety may result in school avoidance and refusal.
HOW CAN PARENTS HELP
One of the most important things parents of kids with school anxiety can do is recognize the signs. If you notice your child may be struggling, talk with them about it. It may be that they will talk to you and that together, you can find a solution.
Perhaps that means developing routines to help your child better prepare for school every morning. You could look over their homework together, enjoy breakfast as a family at the table, or come up with a mantra you can chant together on the drive to school.
In the weeks leading up to school, you could help your child face their school anxiety by discussing all possible scenarios they may be anxious about and helping them to consider how best to handle those situations before they face them.
And after school, you may find it’s helpful to your child if you are available to talk if they need it. Why not start a tradition of having an after-school snack at the table together while you discuss their day and assess together how everything went?
If you can’t help your child to work through their school anxiety on your own, don’t hesitate to reach out for help.
Your child’s school administration may have resources available, and a qualified mental health professional can also help your child to identify the root cause of their anxiety and to begin to work through it, developing tools that can help along the way.