Strategies to Help Children Cope Going Back to School

With school holidays well and truly over (phew?) here are some top expert tips from education leader – Rochelle Borton on what parents can do to help with the transition of going back to school!

“Establishing routines is vital for children to not only do well in school but also feel safe and calm about physically going to school and mentally preparing themselves for what’s ahead each day. Being on top of sleep schedules, breakfast and day plans for school/after school will help prepare children to return to routines post holidays.”

Rochelle’s top tips:

Use a wallpaper/calendar to keep organised and decrease stress
Acknowledge the child’s worries and be optimistic; problems have solutions and it is best to keep attentive to children’s feelings
Discuss expectations: uniform, booklist, behaviour policy in order for clear communication and expectations

“Positive encouragement also plays a huge role in ensuring the transition and lead up of going back to school is smooth. Ensuring daily and predictable routines with regular mealtimes helps as well as connecting with other parents who have children in the same classes/programs. Most importantly, staying calm and reassuring as a parent is most important as this can be a tricky period to navigate and find your rhythm too. Ask children regularly how they are feeling about school and keep active in the conversation, really listening and being involved in their feelings and thoughts.”

Rochelle is a leading Australian education entrepreneur who founded EduInfluencers – an organisation that provides professional development programs, coaching and strategic consulting for educators, teams, schools and school leaders, Rochelle’s humble beginnings began with just 1 four-part course that has grown to include hundreds of courses, seminars, webinars, workshops and professional training. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, EduInfluener’s was recently recognised as one of the winners of best professional development providers in Australia by The Educator’s 5-Star Service Provider Awards.