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Tips for managing back-to-school stress for parents, students

PITTSBURGH — As we approach the return to the classroom, parents and students may face anxiety.

“Back-to-school is stressful for families even in the best of times... now, in the context of COVID, school violence that’s occurred in our country, I think it’s a much more stressful time,” said Dr. Anthony Mannarino, Chair of Allegheny Health Network’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Institute.

Mannarino said one of the best things families can do is openly communicate. Parents should listen to their child’s concerns without dismissing them.

“Parents need to really hear what their kids are saying about their worries and concerns so they feel like they’re understood,” he said, adding that parents should “try to provide as much reassurance, about whether it be school violence or the pandemic, that there are school authorities and so forth taking the appropriate steps to keep schools as safe as possible, in light of these events.”

Parents can also initiate conversations with their children so they feel comfortable sharing what may be weighing on them.

When it comes to the stress parents themselves may be facing, Mannarino said he is an advocate for self-care. He said parents often feel guilty taking time for themselves, but self-care can result in better parenting.

“If you’re really stressed out from work or other situations, it’s going to be harder for you to tend to your children.”

Working parents may especially feel stressed over the possibility of a sudden transition to virtual learning.

Mannarino recommends having a plan in place should child care suddenly become an issue.

“It’s better to know what you’re going to do in advance, instead of having no clue... that will cause a lot of distress for the parent and the child as well,” he said.

Parents may also feel financially strained when purchasing back-to-school items amid historic inflation.

Mannarino says to be honest with your children without alarming them.

“We want to be honest with kids, ‘yes, things cost more because of what’s going on, and so maybe we don’t have as much money right now as we usually have,’ but we don’t want to frighten them or scare them either that we’re not going to have any money to pay for food or housing, we don’t want to do that,” he said. “So, maybe ‘you get two outfits this year instead of three,’ that kind of thing.”

Channel 11 spoke with several parents and children across our region who expressed a range of emotions from excitement to anxiety.

“I’m kind of excited but like I’m also kind of nervous... just for like, who’s gonna be in my class and what teacher I’m gonna get and stuff,” said Everett, set to enter the fourth grade.

Mannarino said it’s normal for kids to feel the back-to-school jitters.

But if a parent or student’s stress starts to seem unmanageable, it’s always a good idea to seek professional help.

Mannarino said he sees referrals tick up a little later into the year, around October.

“Not being afraid to reach out for professional help is a good thing,” he said.

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