Coping with Post-Lockdown Anxiety in Children
Adele Stavropoulos, Clinical Psychologist
While the lockdown has been challenging for many families, returning to school may
provoke anxiety in some children and parents. Reasons for this include ongoing uncertainty
about safety, mixed messaging and misinformation, and the recent long period of lockdown
making children used to being at home with their families.
Signs of post lockdown anxiety to look out for in your child or teen:
- Worries about something bad happening when returning to school (e.g. an untoward
event occurring to self or loved one, peer relationships or school work) - Seeking excessive reassurance from parents
- Avoidance of discussing or preparing for school
- Anxiety when separating from parents or increased ‘clinginess’
- Physical symptoms such as a stomachache
- Periods of intense emotions, particularly when separating from parents
- Sleeping difficulties
- School refusal (online or face-to-face)
Strategies to help post lockdown anxiety:
Listen and validate: take the time to chat with your child and find out how they are
feeling about returning to school. Let your child know that the way that they are
feeling is understandable and valid given the circumstances.
Be aware of their sources of information: monitor where your child is accessing
information about COVID and ensure they are using credible sources. Also set
limits for the amount of exposure your child has to COVID messaging each day.
Limit unhealthy reassurance: while providing reassurance can reduce children’s
anxiety in the short term, often it can increase it in the long term as children
become dependent on you to reduce their anxiety. Try to limit the amount of
reassurance you provide and use alternative strategies.
Collaborative problem solving: Together with your child, brainstorm possible ways
to combat any potential issues that might arise when returning to school. For
example, contacting a friend that they might not have spoken to in a while.
Balanced thinking: Try to look for factual evidence to determine whether there is a
more helpful way of thinking about any worries your child may be having. For
example, look at daily case numbers and community transmission rates.
Create a plan: Together with your child, come up with a plan for the first and
subsequent days back at school. This plan can include getting ready in the
morning, school drop off, and what to do or who they can talk to if anything goes
wrong. Emphasise safety measures in the plan that your child can control such as
use of hand sanitiser.
Establish a new routine: Create a new routine for returning to school that
incorporates fun things they can look forward to, as well as things that will be the
same from home schooling e.g. breaks, play.
Worry time: If your child struggles with excessive worry, try to set a time each day
where they can focus on these worries. Deferring the time they worry may help the
worries seem less overwhelming and may reduce their occurrence.
Emphasise flexibility: As some degree of uncertainty remains, continue to prepare
your child for the possibility that there may be changes to their routines in the
future.
Practice separating: In the lead up to school, you can practice having small
amounts of time apart to prepare your child to be away from you.
Connect with school: Don’t be afraid to speak to your child’s school about their
concerns and see if they have any strategies in place that may assist.
Manage parental emotions: Many parents may be feeling anxious themselves about
their children returning to school. This is a normal reaction and be sure to seek
support yourself.
Give it time: Be prepared for some adjustment period. It may take several weeks
for children to adjust.
Seek help when needed: If you or your child are feeling overwhelmed or unsure
how to cope, seek professional support.
