Back-to-School Anxiety: Essential Tips and Checklist for a Smooth Transition

While the back-to-school season is exciting, it can also bring worries about the unknowns of a new school year. The new school year can bring uncertainty with new peers, teachers, routines, academic stress, and general anxiety—affecting both parents and students. During the back-to-school season, it's important to set your child up for success, and there are specific steps you can take at home, at school, and with professional support, when needed, to achieve this. 

Understanding Back-to-School Anxiety  

Back-to-school anxiety is a type of anxiety specifically related to returning to a school environment. Since there are many aspects to back-to-school anxiety, it's helpful to look at it through different lenses to better understand it and decide what steps would be best for your child. Recognizing and seeing the causes of back-to-school anxiety is the first step. There are many causes of anxiety surrounding the back-to-school season, including: 

Common Triggers for Back-to-School Anxiety 

• New social environment  
• New teachers 
• Homework  
• Extracurriculars 
• Reinstating old routines  
• Social pressure 
• Separation anxiety from a parent or caregiver  
• Pressure to perform on tests and quizzes 
• Fear of school shootings 
• Ongoing Traumas: abuse, divorce, loss of a family member, etc.  

The back-to-school transition can be difficult, even for the most social students. Transition years when changing schools can be particularly tough for children who struggle with new social environments. Students who already suffer from anxiety can also often experience an increase in their symptoms when transitioning to a new school year. 

Common Symptoms of Back-to-School Anxiety 

Recognizing school refusal symptoms is essential for providing effective support and helping children reintegrate into school.  

"From my own experience working with children and adolescents, back-to-school anxiety in children and teens is not one size fits all. There are themes of avoidance and anxiety that can often be observed as emotion dysregulation, apathy, illness, or even oppositionality. Back-to-school anxiety can often present as your child refusing to prepare for the school year, isolating throughout summer, and somatic discomfort. Children don’t always have insight, but they will find the path of least resistance and will often try and find excuses to avoid school that make sense, at least initially," says Taylor Booth, LCSW, Associate Director, Virtual Adolescent Program. "I would recommend parents look out for their children delaying attending school by running late, missing the bus, reporting on 'not feeling good' or having stomachaches, as well as, leaving early from school and/or spending frequent visits in the nurse’s office."  

These common signs, including frequent complaints of physical ailments like stomachaches, headaches, or sore throats, tend to appear on school days and often disappear when the child stays home. However, they typically return the next morning or on subsequent school days. Children with school refusal may frequently visit the nurse's office to escape the classroom environment, seek relief from school stressors, or avoid challenges like tests and presentations. Additionally, they might show frequent tardiness or skip school to avoid situations that trigger their anxiety. School anxiety and refusal symptoms include: 

• Tantrums  
• Excessive crying  
• Nightmares  
• Trouble sleeping  
• Loss of or no appetite  
• Nausea 
• Stomach aches  
• Headaches 
• Absence from classes 
• Absence from activities  
• Refusal to participate in class 
• Self-harm behaviors  

Preparing for the New School Year 

Setting clear expectations and consequences is crucial for managing school refusal, according to Booth. “Make sure that you set concrete expectations and consequences for them if they refuse or are absent from school. I encourage the use of practical relaxation skills and tips to help them change their relationship to anxiety rather than try and remove anxiety from their life,” she says. “Anxiety is a valuable emotion, and it is here to stay. Work on helping them recognize signs and symptoms by calling gentle attention to them and helping them utilize breathing and relaxation skills in response. Allow them to be anxious and continue to hold them to standards in the household. Don’t tiptoe around your child. This will help your child prepare for what is to come during the school year.” 

Establish Consistent Routines    

Establishing morning and nightly routines will create a consistent environment that will help the child's transition back to school. Pivoting your routine or not having one can add an extra overwhelming layer into the transition. The first step to establishing a back-to-school routine is setting consistent bed and wake-up times so that their sleep schedules quickly adapt to their school hours. A steady morning routine might include waking up mindfully at the same time each day, getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, and then leaving together to catch the bus or drive to school. 

Remember, a nighttime routine is just as important as a morning routine, and it starts before the child even goes to sleep. Depending on their age and capabilities, have your child help prepare their lunch and lay out their clothes for the next day. Mastering these routines will help give your child a sense of familiarity in their everyday lives throughout the school year and beyond.  

Try to Visit School Ahead of the First Day  

A great way to help get your child acclimated and to make them feel more comfortable with the environment is to visit the school beforehand. During the visit help your child locate their classroom, the hallways, the bathroom, the nurse's office, and the cafeteria. Getting your child familiar with the area will help them adjust. Practicing drops off and picking up can even help your child get familiar with what their daily routine will look like.  

Meet the Teachers  

Arranging a meeting between your child and their teacher before school starts can help them get to know their teacher and reduce a lot of uncertainty. Encouraging your child to ask questions and share concerns will help them communicate their needs to their teacher and address any worries they have about the upcoming school year. This can also be done during the first week of school! 

Encouraging Social Connections  

The social aspect of school is something that a lot of children find intimidating, sometimes even most intimidating about going back to school. Encouraging your child socially by arranging meetups with classmates before school starts will help them feel more comfortable when in the classroom. Arranging meet-ups will help your child feel less isolated and will help them form connections that they will be able to keep inside and outside the classroom. Those friendships could help your child go from nervous to excited about going to school so that they can see their classmates.  

One of the best ways that you can support your child socially is to promote their interests by encouraging them to get involved with extracurriculars. Encouraging your child to get involved in the things that interest them, whether that be fine arts or sports, will help give them an emotional outlet as well as help them build social connections. Extracurricular activities will help give your child confidence and show them that they are capable of greatness. It’s important that you celebrate your child's interests and successes even outside of the classroom. Activities will help them build friendships outside of the classroom as well. 

Communication and Emotional Support  

It’s also important that your child feels like they can communicate their feelings to you. When your child is expressing their concerns, listen and take note of the things that are worrying them. That could be a certain class subject, social dynamics, or anxieties about school in general. After taking note of what is worrying your child, check in with them daily to see if they are feeling better about what they have been struggling with. Try not to be dismissive; instead, reiterate and confirm their worries in the conversation so they know that they are being heard. Try not to have the mindset that you need to ‘fix’ whatever your child's worry is, sometimes kids just want to have an outlet to share their emotions. However, when age-appropriate, ask how you may be able to help work toward a solution together.  

When your child is struggling, it’s important to nurture their confidence and reassure them that you believe in them. Offer positive encouragement and try to relate to your child. One way to do this is by sharing a similar experience you’ve had and explaining how you got through it, just as they will. There's no problem you can't solve together!

Additional Practical Strategies for Easing Anxiety  

Here are five practical strategies that caregivers can easily teach, and children can easily understand:

1. 4x4 Breathing Exercise: Inhale deeply through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and then exhale slowly through your mouth for 4 seconds and hold your breath for 4 seconds. Repeat a few times until you start to feel your mind and body calm down. 
2. School Supply Organization: Teaching your child to organize their backpack, outfits, and school supplies each evening can help reduce anxiety. Preparing everything the night before minimizes uncertainty and helps your child feel more in control. This practice also eases stress on the morning of school, allowing your child to focus on getting to school. 
3. Well-Rounded Nutrition: A healthy diet impacts both physical and mental health. Evidence shows that good nutrition can reduce the risk of developing mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. 
4. Adequate Sleep: Sleep is crucial for overall health and mental clarity for both children, teens, and adults alike. It supports brain function and influences your perspective on daily life. Quality sleep enhances your mood and outlook, making it easier to maintain a positive and calm attitude. 
5. Regular Exercise: Exercise benefits overall well-being, offering immediate effects like lowered blood pressure and reduced anxiety. Aerobic activities boost endorphins, your brain’s feel-good chemicals, leading to improved mood and mental clarity. 

Professional Support and Resources  

If your child is still having trouble adapting to their school environment after a few weeks into school, it could be helpful to engage in a conversation with their teachers, the school social worker, and/or a mental health treatment center about your options. You can always call Compass Health Center and receive a mental health assessment within 24 hours of your initial inquiry to see what would be best to support them. Professional mental health support includes outpatient therapy, intermediate levels of support, like intensive outpatient or partial hospitalization programs, or higher levels of care as needed.    

If your child cannot attend school due to mental health symptoms and you are worried about their well-being and academic performance, there are treatment options available designed to help them with those exact struggles. Compass Health Center offers immediate access to in-person and virtual School Anxiety & Refusal Programs for children and teens needing more support than is available in outpatient therapy or psychiatry. Booth explains how Compass Health Center clinicians are trained to identify underlying triggers and develop effective coping strategies. “Compass Health Center clinicians are experts in the signs and can help children identify underlying triggers and create coping plans with our skills taught in the group curriculum. The clinicians also team up with parents and caregivers to create structured behavior plans to help take some of the weight off caregiver's shoulders,” says Booth. “Children receive top mental health education and get a unique experience to connect with peers on a deeper level. Children in our program receive validation from peers around their symptoms and this helps reduce the shame connected with mental illness. Many children don’t realize or believe others feel the same way they do about school. Our program helps open the doors to open communication between children, families, and peers.” 

Our programs, tailored for children and teens, also include additional specialty areas such as OCD, anxiety, depression, screen dependency, mental health and substance use, and more. Through specialized, evidence-based treatment, Compass Health Center’s goal is to help students return to the classroom as quickly as possible while providing them with strategies needed to effectively manage symptoms in daily life. 

Every Child’s Journey is Different—You’ve Got This!  

The back-to-school season can be challenging for both children and parents. Reducing household stress and providing your child with effective coping skills can make a significant difference. While back-to-school anxiety is common and varies from child to child, many resources are available to support their unique journey. You may want to consider additional options for support, such as outpatient therapy or mental health programs. Compass Health Center is always here to ensure you and your child receive the support you need. 

If you have effective strategies or experiences that have worked for your family, please leave a comment—your insights may help others navigate similar challenges. Be sure to download our Back-to-School Checklist and keep it handy for easy reference throughout the school year! 

Further Reading: 

• Why is My Child Refusing to Go to School? | A Clinician’s Guide for Parents of Children and Teens 
• Understanding the Impact of School Anxiety, Refusal, and Absenteeism 
• A Parent’s Roadmap to Navigating Mental Health Care for Their Children and Teens 
• Managing Back-to-School Stress: Strategies for a Smooth Transition 

Additional Resources: 

• American Psychological Association: Offers research and resources on school avoidance and refusal. 
• School Avoidance Alliance (Facebook Group): A community where families share their experiences and support each other with school avoidance issues. 
• Overcoming School Refusal (Book): A practical guide for teachers, counselors, caseworkers, and parents.