Back-To-School Meltdowns In 2021 – The Post Pandemic Edition

Back-to-school meltdowns: they’re nothing new. But that doesn’t make them any easier. And (surprise, surprise!) after being out of school for so long due to the pandemic, we expect things to be a bit different than usual.

 

Back-to-school meltdowns in 2021

To give an example, we won’t be surprised to see meltdowns happen to older kids too this year, after not having been to school for such a long time. For younger kids, separation anxiety might be more of an issue, simply because they’re not used to being away from you for so long. In our episode, we discuss a ton of more reasons why your kid might be experiencing back-to-school meltdowns.

We also answer questions like:

• What causes a child to have a meltdown?
• When are my kid’s meltdowns healthy and when not (anymore)?
• How to prevent back-to-school meltdowns?
• What to do when your kid is having back-to-school meltdowns.
• How to handle different kinds of meltdowns and situations.

Tips on how to deal with my kid’s back-to-school meltdowns

In this week’s Podcast Therapists episode, we give a bunch of tips on how to deal with your kid’s back-to-school meltdowns. Here, you can already read three of our tips:

#1 Screen your kid then they get home from school
Make sure your kid is not really hungry, thirsty, feeling sick or anything else that could be causing the meltdown

#2 Create a routine
This goes for both PM and AM. It’s also a good idea to try to invite your kid into the PM routine. Giving them some control back can be very helpful for them after having been told what to do the entire day.

#3 Give your child the space it needs to re-regulate
We get that you’re incredibly excited and curious to find out everything about their first few days back in school. What did they do? How is their teacher? Did they make any new friends? But bear in mind that they might need some time and space to process everything first before they talk to you.

More about Virginia Family Therapy

Virginia Family Therapy is a mental health practice serving individuals, families, and our community. VFT is designed to help people at all stages and from all walks of life by offering therapists and physicians with diverse backgrounds and specialties via face-to-face, walk-and-talk, and telemedicine appointments. Throughout, we are committed to developing strengths-based, authentic, and long-lasting relationships with you and your children. We hope to provide you with the support and insight you need to help your family navigate life’s hard times and joys.

Contact us here.

Resources and links mentioned in this episode

• Are you or your child struggling with mental health? We have a team of psychologists and psychiatrists who can help you out. Don’t hesitate to contact us here.
• Have you listened to our episode about how to get your kids emotionally ready for the post-pandemic school year?
• You can find the book ‘The Invisible String’ by Patrice Karst & Joanne Lew-Vriethoff here or look for it in your local bookstore.
• Connect with us on Instagram.

Disclaimer: Please remember we are real live therapists, however this is a podcast and is not considered a therapy session. Not only because there is no co-pay but also because we can’t speak to your individual experiences. We are here to help you keep raising healthy kids. And remember, if you are an imperfect parent, we are right there with you. If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, please call your local crisis hotline or go to your nearest emergency room.