Ribbleton Avenue Methodist Junior School

Strategies for parents

• Re-establish routines with your child, including earlier bedtime and getting up each morning in plenty of time. Be mindful that your child may find the first few days/weeks at school very tiring but this will be a short-term issue whilst they rebuild their stamina for learning

• Work with your child to set goals and targets for what can be achieved each day - this might be school work 'targets' and social 'targets'
• Talk to your child about what they are looking forward to / anxious about in terms of returning to school – the 'stress bucket approach' may be useful
• Remember simple steps to try and reduce anxiety resulting from the COVID19 pandemic such as:
  • Limiting news coverage o Increasing contact (safely) with others outside of your household
  • Build in times of the day for a treat – a hot bath, a walk, a game you enjoy
  • Use exercise, games, films, etc to distract your thoughts
  • Sharing of worries – consider writing a blog or diary

Useful resources for parents and children to use at home to manage anxiety

• https://www.annafreud.org/media/11459/7waysanxiety.pdf - strategies for broaching anxiety with children and young people
• Ideas for Calming activities to undertake at home – may help pupils with anxiety
• Apps such as Chill Panda, Worrinots and ThinkNinja may help children manage their worries and anxieties
• Guidance produced by the government for parents on supporting children and young people's mental health