{"id":7239,"date":"2018-08-31T16:10:05","date_gmt":"2018-08-31T16:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thechelseapsychologyclinic.com\/starting-the-new-school-year-with-positivity\/"},"modified":"2025-01-31T15:57:10","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T15:57:10","slug":"starting-new-school-year-positivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechelseapsychologyclinic.com\/blog\/starting-new-school-year-positivity\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting the new school year with positivity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Start the new school year with flying colours<\/h1>\n

When this time of year comes around, many of us will reminisce over the delight of receiving a fresh box of pencils, or blank notebooks. While the start of a new school year is often filled with the more positive feelings of hope right through to excitement, it\u2019s equally natural to also experience the opposite spectrum\u00a0\u2013\u00a0from the mild sadness of summer ending, through to anxiety<\/a><\/u>\u00a0and depression.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, being a parent of a child who doesn\u2019t want to start school or even go to school due to social anxiety<\/a><\/u>, can be very stressful. In a child\u2019s development, starting school is a pivotal point in psychological terms, where they are required to develop and manage multiple relationships with all kinds of new people, in addition to close family members. Transitioning to secondary school or university<\/a><\/u>\u00a0also has its challenges, as young adults begin to discover their own autonomy and independence.<\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019re going to explore the many psychological adjustments that both parents and children need to make at the start of a new school year \u2013 and how to be mindful along the way.<\/p>\n

Navigating the post-holiday blues<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re a child or an adult, any time our routine changes in a significant way, there\u2019s always a period of adjustment\u00a0\u2013 and we must always remember, this includes psychological adjustment as well. When going into an extended period of holiday time, for example, we have a great opportunity to release the daily tensions we hold within our psyche and nervous system around the need to perform for others (in our jobs, or at school). All of a sudden, the need to achieve something in a set timeframe or be somewhere on time, vanishes \u2013\u00a0and the experience of time itself takes on a new, unstructured quality.<\/p>\n

During unstructured time, psychologists have discovered that this is often a time when people become ill. In fact, there is a term for this phenomenon \u2013 \u201cleisure sickness\u201d, coined by Ad Vingerhoets<\/a><\/u>, a Dutch psychologist. This phenomenon goes to show just how closely interrelated our mind and bodies truly are.<\/p>\n

So going back to structured time after a period of being highly unstructured, will also have an impact on us. As the parent of a child going back to school, mindful parenting<\/a><\/u>\u00a0is going to be critical in ensuring a healthy transition \u2013\u00a0so that your child can make the most of the new school year ahead.<\/p>\n

Things to be mindful of as the year progresses<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the start of every new school year, lies a fresh set of expectations \u2013 your child is expected to have mastered all the lessons of the past year and be ready for new growth. In addition to this, children are often being evaluated, assessed and compared to their peers\u00a0\u2013 this also generates pressure or stress. While a certain amount of structure and pressure can act as a motivating factor and drive growth, it\u2019s essential for children to have adults they can turn to, if the pressure gets too much.<\/p>\n

While there are some mindful teachers who have the capacity to monitor these factors, so many teachers are pressed for time and resources, and are often unable to assist children through their interpersonal or psychological development. Ideally, children can turn to a parent to express themselves, in such a way that they are heard and understood.<\/p>\n

It would be ideal if parents can be mindful of how well your child:<\/p>\n