Back to School Season Doesn’t Have to Be Stressful, These Tips Can Help
Back to School Season Doesn’t Have to Be Stressful, These Tips Can Help
It’s that time of year—back to school. My kiddos have been through all of the little years and now we are off to the final high school days. With every new journey comes new excitement and adventures. We held off on smartphones till high school and while it was tough for both us as parents and socially for our kids, the benefits have paid off with the maturity and wisdom that begins to show very clearly in high school. It’s also Jon Haidt’s recommendation in The Anxious Generation, based on his research on kids, smartphones, and mental health. I wanted to share this article on preparing for the school year by grade level so you and your family can be well-prepared and ready to go.
Key Takeaways from the Article
- Parents feel the stress too: Back-to-school isn’t just hard on kids—parents often carry pressure about schedules, performance, and transitions.
- Stress shows up differently at each stage:
- Elementary: morning chaos, drop-off tears, homework routines.
- Middle school: social pressures, changing schedules, balancing independence with oversight.
- High school: college prep, peer relationships, and growing responsibilities.
- College: letting go, financial concerns, and supporting independence while staying connected.
- Parental mindset matters: Children mirror how calm, flexible, and supportive we are during this time.
What You Can Do
✅ Establish healthy routines early – bedtimes, morning structure, homework zones. Predictability lowers stress.
✅ Practice self-care as a parent – your stress trickles down. Prioritize sleep, movement, and downtime for yourself.
✅ Focus on connection, not perfection – instead of grades or achievements, emphasize emotional well-being and growth.
✅ Check in regularly – ask open-ended questions about feelings, not just schoolwork (“What was one good moment from today?”).
✅ Model healthy tech use – set limits on screens for yourself and your kids. Consider waiting on smartphones until high school, when maturity better matches the responsibility.
Back-to-school is always a mix of excitement and stress, but it can also be a chance to reset, reconnect, and build healthy habits for the year ahead. If you’d like to dive deeper into these strategies, you can read the full article.
Click the link to read the article.
—Ryan