Back to School with The HOW People
We think we can all agree that it doesn’t matter how many years ago you left education, we still get that same uneasy feeling of nervousness and excitement every year around this time - but why is that?
Well, for around 14 years and beyond, every September we pushed our vulnerable selves into a new situation, a new group of people and a new year of unknowns.
Sometimes it went well, sometimes it really didn't, and sometimes we may have encountered life-changing friendship shifts.
This was bound to have a lasting effect on us.
September is a bit like the start of a New Year for parents.
New routines.
New commitments.
But with out the pressure of keeping to New Year resolutions.
We’ve pulled together some useful resources below to help make this time a little easier for the young people around us and give us some resources to use to support them.
WATCH
What if no one talks to me?
Will they still be my friend?
What if I don’t get to sit next to any of my friends in lessons?
What if I’ve forgotten everything I learnt last year?
It isn’t just the back-to-schoolers who let these thoughts spin through their minds, we all still have these worries the night before we do something new or are due to meet a new group of people.
The simple concept in this video is one many might be familiar with and is a fantastic way of teaching young (and not-so-young!) people how to untangle, shrink and manage their worries.
Jump to the 'Read' section to download our handy workbook which contains a Worry Tree flowchart to help you work your way through those worries. 
FOLLOW
Although you might know her from her time as a news broadcaster and on Strictly, Kate Silverton is a qualified child counsellor and author of bestselling book, ‘There’s No Such Thing As Naughty’.
Her Instagram is full of parenting tips as well as useful techniques to put in your own anxiety toolkit.
READ
The Know HOW Superpowers Workbook
If you need some more resources to help your child deal with those back-to-school worries then look no further than our very own The Know HOW 'Superpowers' workbook, which helps young people to unlock their inner superpowers and aid those struggling with everything from anxiety to panic attacks to low mood.
This workbook is packed with practical advice on managing difficult situations including understanding and controlling your breathing. This will be available to everyone for free via the link on our website so please share this with anyone who need to hear about it.
We are going to distribute this to schools and GP surgeries across the country during this academic year. Head to our website and click the big yellow box or scan the QR code.
DO
Get Organised
Having a routine is a really simple way of helping young people deal with anxiety
It’s one thing you and your child can have some control over.
It takes at least 21 days to form a new habit so, in September, why not work with your child to get a new school routine going? Here are a few ideas to try:
- Get everyone up at the same time every day and ensure there’s enough time to get everything done
- Set homework time in the evening
- Leave phones downstairs at night
- Pack bags and make lunches the evening before
- Buy your children folders to keep their work organised
- Encourage tidy working areas
- Put your clothes out the night before
LISTEN
Dealing with anxiety and worry is all about building a toolkit which your child can dip into in moments of need to help them ride the wave and come out the other side feeling confident and empowered.
Music can be a fantastic tool for bringing anxiety down or for lifting low mood so work with your child to create a playlist for different scenarios that they can turn to when they feel they need it.
