Calming Back To School Jitters
Summer is coming to an end and the beginning of school is right around the corner. For parents, it’s back to the school year routine. For a child, it commonly means a new teacher, new classmates, maybe even a new school. All this excitement though can bring some anxiety. While the cause of anxiety in children can differ, anxious feelings are normal and even expected as children make these all-important transitions in their lives. As a Naturopathic doctor who works a lot with children, I have found that when dealing with a fear driven thought it’s important to walk through the fear in its entirety. For instance if your child is nervous about attending a new school is afraid they’ll get lost or be late to class, don’t just reassure them that everything is going be “OK.” Instead, talk to them, help to walk them through the worst things that could happen, go through different scenarios of what to do if they get lost.
Besides talking out the fears, I have found homeopathic remedies may be helpful in calming back to school jitters. These remedies can be taken as pellets and dissolved in the mouth. Below are just a few examples of some of the remedies that may be helpful. Remember it is always best to consult with a trained health care provider before starting who can help you more accurately get the correct remedy and potency for your child.
Pulsatilla: A Pulsatilla child is very timid, mild and tends to have a yielding disposition. Often times they have a strong emotional bond with the mother and cling to them. The may display their anxiety by demanding excessive attention, weeping often and crying at almost everything. Generally their anxiety is worse in a warm room and they seek the open air.
Lycopodium Clavatum – This remedy is one of the first remedy’s that comes to mind to me when speaking about anticipatory anxiety. Lycopodium children have an aversion to undertake new things, yet when they do so they go through it with relative easiness. A lot of the anticipatory anxiety is because they are afraid they will fail and look foolish. Most of these children try to conceal these insecurities with over confident mannerisms.
Gelsemium –This remedy is often the first remedy considered when it comes to test anxiety, stage fright etc. One of the keynote symptoms for this remedy includes anticipation of any unusual ordeal, appearing in public, public speaking, test anxiety, etc. brings on diarrhea. This is another example of a remedy that is helpful for anxiety that is from anticipation of an event.
Phosphorus – The phosphorus child is generally very sharp, alert and desires creative activities yet has many anxieties. In their anxious state they become fearful when they are alone and for that reason strongly desire company. They are very restless and fidgety. When they are anxious they can bite their nails. The phosphorus child desires to be rubbed gently. Lastly, they have a strong fear of the dark and their anxiety is often time worse during thunderstorms.
Baryta Carbonicum – This is a great remedy if your child is afraid to go to school because of undertaking anything new (new people, new classes, etc.). This child is excessively shy, they often times hid behind the mother, their hands or furniture as to not be looked at by strangers. They tend to lack self-confidence. If a Baryta carb child walks into a room with people laughing, they may assume that people are laughing at them. They easily get homesick because they feel a sense of safety in their home. Lastly this child may also have some problems in the classroom with learning. They tend to be very forgetful and inattentive. They have a hard time learning and remembering new information.
Diet also plays a major role in our emotional health. While sugar itself may not cause anxiety, researchers have found that it might worsen anxiety symptoms. In one study researchers found that rats that binged on sugar and then fasted displayed anxiety like behaviors. It’s important to limit the amount of sugar laden, processed foods in your child’s diets throughout the school year.
While back to school jitters are common there are many tips to help tackle them before they get out of hand. Consider some of these tips the next time you are faced with a child who is experiencing some anxiety around school and life. Best wishes for a happy and healthy school year!
