The pandemic forced kids out of school for years, which led to online learning. The transformation in routine from waking up early to getting ready for school to barely feeling awake for online classes impacted children. Smartphones and play stations have replaced running, jumping, and real-time playing.
Fortunately, schools reopened to help children resume a healthy routine that includes a healthy sleep pattern, a balanced diet, outdoor activities, and academics. But with offline classes, children will have to return to a routine they were accustomed to before the pandemic, resulting in stress and anxiety.
Kids Back to School
A recent study in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Meal Health proposed that students returning to their old morning school schedule might have a positive impact on their lifestyle. In addition, improved sleep habits can help teenagers cope better with stress and reduce their levels of anxiety.
An article from the Philadelphia Inquirer (a public-benefit corporation that publishes a news website) recently stated “School is sometimes the only social outlet teenagers have, and when that is taken away, life can become much more challenging. How can you expect anything different when students are lying in bed and stuck staring at a screen rather than having crucial social interaction?”
How to ease the anxiety of children
The transition back to their old routine after taking online classes for more than a year can cause a lot of anxiety. Expecting them to adjust and act immediately would be unrealistic.
With toddlers, those who started pre-school online are accustomed to a digital classroom environment. Now that kids who never attended school are likely to experience a lot of adjustment issues. These kids have grown dependent on their parents and the home environment as a result of the lockdown. However, it is possible for parents to break this cycle by gradually exposing their children to the real world. Helping them with a virtual reality tour of the school setting would be better than taking them to school all of a sudden as it helps desensitize anxiety.
Bottomline
While children may find ‘Going to School’ difficult and come up with excuses, parents need to make their children understand the importance of in-person schooling. It is also important for parents to make sure that their children get enough nutrition and physical activity while providing constant support to help ease anxiety.