Back to school counselling starts in the summer!
July and August for young people are supposed to be fun! We agree.
For some young people the transition from school-to-summer and/or summer-to-school is a tough one. This is because June and September are transition points in their lives: their schedules change, their day-to-day routines usually change, sleep patterns, friend interactions, family interactions….and on and on!
While most of the time young people, and those of us supporting and loving them, can weather these changes, some might need more support.
During the summer check in on the young people in your lives and see if they are struggling with change. Having an open conversation goes a long way. Here are some tips:
- Acknowledge that the transitions are hard – it is best not to minimize or dismiss!
- Make a schedule or routine with them – a nice visual one that can be seen easily is a great way to ground everyone.
- Highlight fun/summer-time-only events so that they can see the positives
- If they are anxious about school – have some play dates, coffee dates, walks, or family picnics at or near the school
If anxiety is very high for your young person, try reaching out to see if there are school resources. Often school support is not available in the summer, so be prepared to reach out early in September if anxiety continues to be high at the beginning of school. Alternately, consider booking in with a therapist in the community who can work with specific needs. There are also resources available in the community like Child and Youth Mental Health that can be explored.
If your child needs to speak to someone urgently, share Kids Help with them and provide space for them to speak to someone.
If they are in crisis, please reach out to teams like the Fraser Health START team, take them to an emergency room, or call 911.