BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - Back to school takes on a whole new meaning this school year amid the pandemic. Some students will be heading to classrooms for the first time in over a year, due to hybrid and remote learning that
was in place for much of the last school year.
It's an exciting time for some, and an anxious time for others.
"Uncertainty is the biggest trigger of anxiety," said Dr Michael Cummings, Vice Chair for Psychiatry for the University of Buffalo and Associate Medical Director of ECMC. "There's going to be a lot of anxiety for individuals going back, and for their siblings, parents, teachers and school staff. It's important to acknowledge it, talk about it, and find ways to decompress."
Cummings said we also have to remember that a lot of parents are transitioning back to the office from a work from home environment, which can add to anxiety within a family.
For families that don't start school until after Labor Day, Cummings says start the routine now. Don't let your kids stay up until midnight. Make them go to bed and get up when they would for school, and be sure they're getting enough sleep and exercise. He said even if there is a setback, with a quarantine or remote period, maintain the routine.
"It's really important for a family to decompress and to talk about concerns and things that are going on in an open and honest way. Kids are exposed to everything that their parents do. But they may not have the tools to fully understand what they're seeing or hearing. So allowing time for discussion and questions and answers is going to be really important."
Back to school might be more challenging for high school students who enjoyed remote learning and do not necessarily want to go back into the classroom. "There are a lot of individuals who liked remote instruction because of it's flexibility or because they didn't have to struggle with some of the social interaction that comes with going to school," said Cummings. "That said, school is not just about math, reading, and history. It's about developing
social connections and growing into young adults. A majority of that happens during the school process."
Add new mandates to the mix, such as masks and social distancing, and it becomes a balancing act for teachers and administrators. "This year especially, it is a partnership more than ever between administrators, teachers, parents and students because the rules are different and are interpreted differently by each school district.
"We all need to be flexible to get the best return to school as we can
while still maintaining the health and safety of our children and the those
who are teaching them," said Cummings.
Something else to be mindful of, is developmental loss especially in
children due to the pandemic. "It's not like we hit the pause button. Kids are not coming back at the same levels as their peers. And many have had setbacks. There will be a lot of people struggling and it might be because of something going on in a household. People are coming back with a lot more on their plate than they had before. It sounds simple, but we have to learn to be a little more kind to each other," added Cummings.
