Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A new school year is right around the corner, with some districts heading back to the classroom in less than two weeks. For many kids, the final days of August means the start of back-to-school jitters.
A recent report from The Kids Mental Health Foundation found that 30% of parents reported their child has missed school before due to fear or anxiety. Stressors are often mundane, especially at the start of a new school year.
"Friendships may have changed, maybe you're going to a new school or you're moving up to middle school so your routine's gonna change, maybe it's the first time you've had to open a locker or go from class-to-class," explained Dr. Michael Cummings, Vice Chair of Psychiatry at UB and Associate Medical Director at Erie County Medical Center.
He told WBEN on Thursday that 15% of kids will experience some form of school-related anxiety.
Other parts of the back-to-school routine may be more obvious stressors, like getting back into a school schedule or shopping for school supplies, Dr. Cummings says. There's ways to mitigate the angst, though.
"Think about the positives. Whether it's sports, whether it's music, whether it's one class, one teacher, things that they know that they're going to look forward to. And then just being there to listen," Dr. Cummings said.
It's also important not to brush off your student's concerns. Validating their reasons for feeling anxious can help make the transition to a new school year easier.
"[Dismissing concerns] gets heard as 'my opinions and my feelings don't matter.' You really wanna validate it. You wanna create a situation where kids are comfortable talking to you about their fears," Dr. Cummings advised.
Dr. Cummings adds schools, themselves, are trying to be more proactive, but a large amount of students makes it tough to get messages about anxiety across. At home is where the solution starts, and being mindful of your child's anxiety is the first step to making school more enjoyable.