Students getting ‘back to school anxiety’, what you can do

CINCINNATI — From grade school to college, students at every level are transitioning into a new school year, and feeling the pressure that comes along with it.

Ten year old Loyalty Black is not just getting ready for school she’s getting ready to be the new kid in class. She’s switching schools from a private school to a Cincinnati public school this year. She's feeling some of the first-day jitters, but has a plan for those scary moments.

“(It's gonna be) good, but it’s gonna be hard,” said Black. “When it's scary, I go to the bathroom and breathe three times slowly."

Her aunt, Jeaninne Walker, is helping her too. She takes care of her during the school year. Walker has been trying to make sure she’s ready for the change.

“I told her it’s gonna be something new, but it’s not gonna be something you can’t handle. You be nice to people, people will be nice to you,” said Walker.

It’s a good move, according to Jenny Oliver, a mental health therapist from Rocking Horse Community Health Center in Springfield.

Oliver’s been seeing student patients virtually and says it’s common for kids to be feeling some back to school anxiety but there is something kids can do about it.

“I work on with kids like breathing exercises and reminding them like, hey, if you start to get anxious, you know, sometimes it’s nice just to take a walk when you get anxious or it’s nice to just take a moment, sit down and maybe journal…just kind of writing it out so that it’s not all bottled up. Then it starts to get overwhelming,” said Oliver.

She says there are ways parents and caretakers can help ease the school transition too.

“Just listen, don’t immediately feel like you have to jump in and solve everything for your child or give them ways to fix the problems. You want to help your kids learn how to problem-solve for themselves. Let them talk about what’s going on for them because oftentimes that’s all they need,” said Oliver.

It’s the support that her aunt is hoping will be what helps Loyalty get through her school year, too.

Mental health therapists suggest that if your child’s school anxiety lasts beyond the first few weeks of school, it might be best to start seeking professional help and support.