I Don't Want to Go to School! Tips on Dealing with a Nervous Child

Your child is nervous about going back to school and you don't know what to do. How do you calm their fears and make them realize that school isn't as bad as they think it is? Some kids may not be as nervous or fearful as other children and will likely get over it on their own. However some children need a bit more support. Hopefully with these tips you can get your child back to school without the nervous feelings.

The first tip I'd like to discuss deals with sharing your stories with your nervous child. You can tell them about how you were nervous about school and that it is perfectly normal to feel this way. Knowing they are not alone can help ease your child's fears and make them less nervous about going back to school. They realize they are not alone and that can make it easier for them to get over their nervousness towards school. Older siblings can help as well since children sometimes rather hear these things from other kids like themselves.

Find out what they are nervous about. Is it the teacher, the kids, transitioning to middle school, etc. Knowing what your child is nervous about will help you better deal with their nervousness and fears towards school. My daughter will be entering middle school for the first time this fall. She told me how nervous she was about going to the new school which was bigger, had more kids, and more homework. Luckily I found a book that was published under the American Girl series that helped calm her down and even made her laugh a bit, you can find it by clicking here.

If your child is afraid because they don't know what their teacher will be like you can arrange for them to have a private meeting with the teacher-if the teacher has the time and is able to do so. This will allow your child to get to know their teacher before school even starts and they can ask him/her any questions they were curious about. This can help ease their nerves for the first day of school because they might not feel like they are heading into the "unknown".

If you are new in a neighborhood maybe you can try to take your children to local parks and playgrounds where they may meet new friends. Chances are that the children they will meet will attend the same school that they are going to go to. This will give your child someone to know at the school, a possible friend, and help calm their nerves about not knowing anyone at the new school.

Give your child a makeover. Sometimes all a person or child needs to feel good is a makeover. A new haircut, a new shirt, or even new shoes can help give your child the added confidence they need to survive the first day of school. A child who feels good about the way they look may find it easier to meet new friends and to squish any fears or nervousness they may have towards school.

Sign your child up for community classes during the summer or in the fall. If they are nervous about making friends they can have a little help from community classes. They will meet other kids from the community in a smaller group setting which will help them work on their people skills and make it easier to make friends. It also may give them a hobby which they may find they have in common with other kids.

If your child is nervous about a new school you can help them to familiarize themselves. You can take them to the classroom, the school's front office, and the bathrooms. If your child takes the bus and they are nervous about forgetting which bus to get on you can write their bus number on an index card and place it in their backpack. You can write it on the card along with emergency phone numbers, your work number, home number, and any other information they may need and laminate it. You can punch a hole in the card and thread it to attach it somewhere inside their backpack or simply sew it into the backpack.

Let your child know what to expect in case of an emergency. Let them know that should a natural disaster occur what the school's plans are and that if they need to be picked up who will pick them up from school. Sometimes kids worry about this type of thing and it may make them feel better to know there is a plan and what to expect.

If your child is nervous about heading back to school don't make them feel bad. Sometimes parents may accidentally do this by saying things like "Why are you nervous? There isn't anything to be nervous about." This may make your child feel as if you don't understand them. Instead you could say, "Is something bothering you? Are you nervous about school? It's okay to feel nervous and I want you to know that you can always talk to me about anything that is bothering you." Sometimes all a nervous child needs is someone to talk to and someone who will listen without receiving any advice.