Positive Affirmations for the Back to School Transition
Written by Ruth Bussey, Founder of Ink and Scribbles, an Emotional Intelligence Resource Hub for Kids, providing engaging printable tools that empower parents and educators to coach children through big, messy emotions and nurture emotionally intelligent kids.
After six weeks of the fun and frazzle that comes with parenting through the summer holidays, I’m enjoying the familiar sight of sweet routine on August’s horizon. But do my kids feel the same?
Transitions can be tough for kids. Changes in pace, leaving the comfort of the home environment, new teachers, new classrooms, new friends, the return to difficult friendships and increasing expectations can lead to overwhelming feelings. Children of all ages can experience everything from excitement to panic, and sometimes several feelings at once.
If your house is anything like mine, the week leading up to the first day of school is packed with last minute uniform shopping, bedtime wobbles, answering what feels like a million ‘what if’ questions, drying tears and the emotional rollercoaster of a child who, on one hand, spends hours meticulously packing the new school bag with shiny new stationery and, on the other, is threatening to never set foot through the school gate!
So, how do we navigate the back-to-school wobbles?
As our thoughts affect our emotions, one powerful strategy for helping children manage big feelings is using affirmations. Affirmations will help your child focus on helpful thoughts and over time can positively change thinking patterns. This supports resilience which during times of change and transition, such as heading back to school, is a key skill.
Affirmations can be specific and created to suit the needs of your child.
For example, if your child is feeling anxious about the increasing expectations with moving up to a new year group, use affirmations centred around growth mindset and self-esteem, such as:
1. I know my effort will help me learn and achieve.
2. I am capable of learning new things.
3. I’m looking forward to learning something new.
Or if your child is worried about new relationships or reigniting old, challenging friendships, create affirmations to support their confidence in this area such as:
1. I enjoy playing with others.
2. I am a trustworthy friend.
3. I decide who I play with.
4. I have ideas that deserve to be heard.
Remember, although it seems too good to be true, words are powerful. Imagine the impact of a few carefully chosen words shared between you and your child before you say ‘see you later’ at the school gate. Try some of these general affirmations and notice how your child stands a little taller:
1. Today will be a good day.
2. I’m going to learn something new today.
3. I will try my best today.
Here’s a few tips to make sure your child gets the most out of using affirmations to help them back to school smoothly. First, create some short, easy to remember phrases with your child that address their main concerns. Then get your child to repeat the affirmations you’ve chosen several times a day in the lead up to the first day back and then throughout the following few weeks to embed them. And finally, it’s also a good idea to model or encourage them to try and catch an unhelpful thought when they appear and substitute it with the affirmation you’ve chosen.
Wishing you a stress free first week back to school. That first calm and quiet mid-morning coffee is calling!