Back-to-school stress tips from Suncoast child psychotherapist

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - With Suncoast students returning to school in less than a week, a local child and adolescent psychotherapist is offering guidance to help families manage the transition.

Ethan Weiss, a child and adolescent psychotherapist, shared three strategies aimed at reducing stress and building student confidence heading into the new school year.

Avoiding avoidance

Weiss said consistency and follow-through from the start of the school year are critical. He said when students become familiar with day-to-day routines, stress and anxiety begin to decrease.

He cautioned that allowing a student to skip school early in the year — even once — can set a precedent that becomes harder to reverse as the year continues.

The power of predictability

Weiss said establishing clear, consistent routines — particularly for mornings and evenings — is one of the most effective ways to set families up for a successful school year.

He said those routines should include time for students to decompress and should follow a logical flow from task to task, so caregivers are not re-explaining expectations at high-stress moments.

Taking time before responding

Weiss said allowing time to pass before responding to a child’s complaints, sassy comments, or sudden physical ailments — such as a Sunday night stomachache — can make a significant difference.

He said that pause gives caregivers time to avoid taking comments personally and to remember that children are often sharpest with people they feel safest with when they are most nervous or overwhelmed. Weiss said the most effective response is typically setting a calm, clear, firm boundary and then giving the child space to regulate.

More information is available at yesandtherapysrq.com