Back to School Mom Worries

After six months, my girls are heading back to school half day. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling worried about it. In addition to the normal back to school jitters, moms have so much more to feel anxious about this school year. No matter what you have chosen, virtual, hybrid, homeschool, five-days-a-week, I know it was not an easy decision. I know you struggled with the decision and lost sleep over it. I know because I did too.

Even after making that decision, I am still not 100% at peace about it. So, I’ve been doing what I can do. Research and read what those smarter than me suggest for this year’s back to school mom worries.

Validate Your Feelings

First things first, validate your feelings. Here’s a start – if you are feeling anxious and unsure about what to expect this school year, this is totally valid. If there was ever a year to feel worried, it is 2020. Your feelings are valid. Plus, you are not the only mom feeling this way. Moms all over the world are feeling worried for many of the same reasons.

Recognize Your Stress

Next, recognize your stress. It is completely understandable to be stressed about the normal back to school gauntlet, but this year’s new normal can elevate your stress levels. If you find yourself acting unlike yourself, try to decipher if your actions are stress related. By recognizing when your stress level has entered unhealthy territory, you can start to ask for help.

Control the Things You Can

Listen, we’ve learned that quite a bit is out of our control this year. And that can exacerbate our mom fears. That’s why it is so important to control the things you can. For example, you may not be able to control what your kid does in the classroom, but you can control what happens in your home. You may not be able to control how often your kid washes her hands when she is at school, but you can make sure she washes her hands when she is with you.

With that being said, if you start to try to control things to an unhealthy degree, get help.

Consider the Worst

This may not work for every mom, but some moms find it actually calms them down to consider the worst things that could happen. By thinking through worst-case scenarios, you can prepare. For instance, what if there is an outbreak that forces the school to go virtual this year? By mentally preparing for the possibility, you can alleviate some stress.

Practice Self-Care

When you start to feel frazzled, take a few minutes to be still, and breathe. Sometimes that is all it takes to calm yourself down. Additionally, it is so important for moms to take time to practice self-care. This will look different for every mom, so you do whatever you need to do to make yourself feel at peace.

Celebrate Small Victories

Lastly, celebrate small victories. This school year will be challenging, but we can do it. For every accomplishment, give yourself a pat on the back. When the kids make it through a week, celebrate by doing something fun When you survive at-home teaching without losing your patience, reward yourself with a treat.