skip to Main Content

How to Ease Anxiety for the First Day of School

Is your child up late tossing and turning before the first day of school? Don’t worry, it won’t be that bad! Just tell your child to keep their head up and follow these 6 simple tips to make the first day great!

1.Visit the school or attend the open house before the first day of school 

One thing that really helps to decrease the first day of school jitters is to visit the school and meet the teachers before the first day if possible.  Many schools schedule open house nights where you and your family can meet the teachers, pick up your schedule, and tour the school to get a feel of where all of your child’s classes will be.  This is sort of a “trial run” for the real first day of school.  So be sure to attend the open house if your school offers it.  It’ll help keep your child from getting lost, and showing up late, when you do it for real. If your school does not offer an open house night, then have your child envision themselves in the school and classroom.

2.Wear Something That Makes Your Child Feel Confident – and Comfortable 

You might want to show off your new shoes and dress, but come lunchtime your child will wish they were wearing something more suitable for lugging around a backpack. Stick with something practical. Plan the first day of school outfit with the words “comfy but cool” in mind.  Lay it out on the bed, but then be sure your child tries it on as well to make sure that it’s comfortable.

3. Get to know the Teachers

You and your child are going to be spending a lot of time with the teachers over the next few months, so instead of your child being afraid of them, or despising them, get to know them.  Who knows, the teachers might have some really cool interests that they can share with you and your child, which will make coming to school a lot more fun for your child.

4. If Your Child’s Friends Aren’t in All Their Classes, Don’t Sweat It 

Tell your child to focus on getting to know their new classmates, and catch up with last year’s pals after school. In a couple of months, your child will have more friends not less.

5. Get a good night’s sleep and eat breakfast in the morning 

Now that school is back in session, it’s time to get back into the routine of going to bed at a decent hour, getting as close to 8 hours of sleep as possible, and eating breakfast in the morning. Try to start this nighttime and morning routine at least two weeks prior to school starting, so that it becomes a habit and then on the first day of school, your child will be good to go.  They will learn better, be less cranky, and be better prepared for the new challenges and adventures that this school year brings.

6. Know That It’s OK to Feel Freaked-Out 

The first day of school is nerve-wracking for everyone, even if some children don’t show it. Just tell your child to try to stay as calm and focused as they can. As the school year gets rolling, they will wonder why they were so worried in the first place.
Keep in mind that the first day might feel super long for your child.  But, it’s just a mental trick because your child is experiencing so much new stuff. Next week, when they are more familiar with their classes, it won’t feel like that anymore!

 

 

Back To Top

Patient Reviews

LLA Therapy

Patient Reviews

Crystal Scheibe

Facebook
Great place, glad we found them. Been going to Medina over 2 months now and he loves Lauryn and Kyler. Wish they had more ABA therapy places available... live in Wooster and long drive everyday.

Karrie Swan LaRock

Facebook
My 11 year old son has dyslexia and has made noticeable gains in working At LLA THERAPY. Katie is strong in her approach toward him and also keeps him comfortable enough to perform well. We will continue visiting both the Fairlawn and Hudson offices and recommend them highly.

Ron Monroe

Facebook
My 9 year old just completed about 9 months of weekly speech sessions (due to his stuttering) with Matt Hagge at LLA and we are thrilled with the experience and results. What I thought might be a negative (what kid really wants to go to speech class?) was made very positive by Matt, and my son never hesitated or complained when we talked about class. He really enjoyed it and really took what Matt taught him to heart. His speech has been greatly improved and we definitely recommend LLA. Thank you so much!

Heather Dougherty-Pantoja

Facebook
My son’s Occupational Therapist, Jess, is an amazing OT! She gives practical tips on working with my son at home and school!

Terri Apgar

Facebook
I cannot say enough good things about LLA Therapy. My daughter was a client of Teal Simmons’ for approximately 2 years and was just released from speech therapy! She was diagnosed with Apraxia in 2015 and worked with Teal twice a week. Through Teal’s application of PROMPT therapy, my daughter had age-appropriate speech after one year. All of the staff we interacted with at LLA were absolutely wonderful. They really care about what they do and making sure your child achieves their goals.

Kelli Geisler Davisson

Facebook
LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for my son as well as my family! My son always asks, "When can I go see Ms. Jeannine again, is it Monday??" He has also made huge gains in only 5 months! I would highly recommend LLA and have already shared my experience with friends looking for services!

Victoria Hansford-Price

Facebook
We are so grateful for our Speech Therapist Ms.Teal. We have seen a great improvement with our sons confidence and communication abilities since we have started "Prompt" therapy. What we love the most about LLA and Ms. Teal is that Kohl feels comfortable and relaxed which has played a critical role in his progress. Thank you Ms. Teal for all you have done.

Laura Lee Hogsett

Facebook
They have helped in numerous ways. Speech, OT and behavioral. I've had numerous compliments on my son's progress thanks in very large part to LLA. I would recommend LLA before I recommend our local children's hospitals, though they are good, they don't have the staff that LLA does.

Amy Furukawa

Facebook
We had a great experience with Matt Hagge at LLA! Our Middle School age son was becoming very conscious of his voice, which is nasal due to a cleft palate. Matt helped him to better form his sounds and project his voice in a way that makes the unavoidable nasality less noticeable.Our son is more confident and outgoing & even took on a speaking role in the church play. Matt has the perfect personality to relate with our son, and we would recommend him to anyone needing speech therapy services!

Jessica Havalotti

Facebook
LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for our daughter. I would highly recommend LLA. Miss Grace was so amazing and I can't believe how quickly our daughter showed improvement. Thank you!
Read More