Can you believe that the start of the school year is almost here?! Summer never fails to be filled with fun and to just fly by before we know it.
At the Blossom Shoppe, Poppy & Posie are enjoying the final days of summer by spending lots of time outside with family, friends, and, of course, flowers! At the same time, they are also getting ready for their first day of school. While the Blossom Sisters are very excited to start a new year at Blossom Town School, they are also feeling a little nervous at the same time. Such a combination of feelings is something many children experience as their first day of school draws closer.
For little ones, making the transition from summer into the school year can be a little tough. Not only can they feel sad about the end of this special season of fun and freedom, but children can feel nervous at the approach of a new school year which can be equally exciting and scary. A new school year, while full of promise and opportunity, is also full of surprises and uncertainty. As the first day of school looms nearer, the following questions are often on children’s minds:
What will my new teacher be like? And will they like me?
Will there be a lot more homework in this grade and will it be harder?
Will I know anyone in my classes?
Will I make new friends?
With questions like these, it’s no wonder many children can suffer from the first-day-of-school jitters.
While there are many reasons why children can be feeling nervous about going back to school, there are many ways parents can not only ease their child’s anxieties during this transition, but also get them excited about the wonderful, colorful school year ahead of them.
Here are The Blossom Company’s top ideas and tricks to help your little one deal with back-to-school anxiety and guarantee a BLOSSOM start to the school year!
Have an open conversation about what your little one is feeling
To understand how you can help your little one feel less worried about going back to school, the first step is understanding why they are feeling worried. Did they have a negative experience last year which is contributing to their anxiety? Or did they hear something negative about their new teacher from a friend? Once you know the causes of their first-day-of-school jitters, you can have a conversation with them about possible solutions to address the issue.
If your little one is feeling a little reticent to open up about their worries and questions, kickstart the conversation with Poppy & Posie’s back to school video.
Have a back-to-school plan
Having a concrete back-to-school plan will make your little one feel more confident as they approach the new school year. A plan will provide your child with some certainty about what they can expect from the first day of school. Just knowing that they have all the supplies they need ready to go for their first day can significantly decrease back-to-school anxiety as they feel prepared and ready to take on the year ahead.
In their back-to-school video, Poppy & Posie’s back-to-school plan not only made them feel prepared for their first day, but it transformed their back-to-school preparations into fun and creative activities to tackle their back-to-school jitters. Their plan included preparing their back-to-school outfits, having their favorite breakfast, packing their backpacks ahead of time (with supplies they decorated themselves!), packing their lunch boxes with colorful and healthy snacks, and creating a special back-to-school tradition (which we’ll talk about more below).
Practice their first day of school ahead of time
With your back-to-school plan in place and school supplies prepared and packed up, do a dry run of your little one’s first day of school. Exposing them to what their first day might be like will give them a better idea of what to expect when the real day comes, and give them confidence knowing that they are capable of handling it.
Schedule a special activity after their first-day of school to give them something to look forward to
Now that your little one has a better idea about what they can expect from their first-day-of-school, encourage them to think about what other wonderful, colorful things are ahead of them this school year by planning something to do after their first day. Plan something that is fun and relaxing, as doing something too strenuous or active may cause your child to become overwhelmed after what is generally an overwhelming day to begin with. Your activity of choice should also not be too out-of-the-ordinary from your usual family routine for the same reasons. Is there a favorite ice cream place you go to on special occasions? Heading there might be a great way to celebrate a successful start to the school year and the perfect opportunity to have a conversation with your little one about how their first day of school went and how they are feeling.
Prepare a special back-to-school tradition
A unique way of helping your little one feel less nervous about the start of the school year is by establishing a special back-to-school tradition. Just like having a back-to-school plan, creating a tradition will provide some certainty at an otherwise uncertain time. A tradition also provide them with something to look forward too and encourages them to engage in thoughtful and creative activities, which may help to calm first-day-of-school jitters.
Poppy & Posie's favorite back-to-school tradition that they want to share with you and your family is their Forever Flowers™️ tradition that you can take part in every year. In this tradition, you and your little one will take a special trip to the garden to pick a flower that will be enclosed in their school notebook. Tightly closed inside the notebook, the flower that you gave to them will dry, allowing them to last for a long time. As your little one carries their notebook in their backpack or in their arms throughout the school day, they will know that the flowers, as well as the very special people that gave them to them, are with them. Having and holding these flowers filled with love will give them a sense of comfort throughout the entire day!
To learn more about Poppy & Posie's Forever Flowers™️ tradition and how you and your family can make it a special back-to-school tradition, click here.
We hope the above ideas and activities will empower your little one during the back-to-school season and help them to have a wonderful, colorful year ahead.
Have a BLOSSOM start to the school year!
Caroline & Katherine
Co-Founders of The Blossom Company
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