The summer holidays can feel wonderful. Lazy mornings, days out, family time and a welcome break from the school routine of lunch boxes and reading records.
As September approaches, some children begin to feel a familiar knot in their tummy.
"I don't want to go back."
"What if my teacher doesn't like me?"
"What if I can't do the work?"
"What if everyone has changed?"
For some children, these worries are fleeting. For others, the thought of returning to school can bring genuine distress.
As parents, it can be difficult to know what to say or do. Naturally we want to take those worries away. Yet often the most helpful thing we can do is give our children a safe space to talk about their feelings, help them prepare for the changes ahead and give them tools to feel more confident.
Going back to school represents a big change in routine.
Even children who usually enjoy school can feel unsettled by the transition. They may be moving into a new year group, getting a new teacher, facing greater academic expectations or navigating changes in friendships.
For a child starting a new school, the uncertainty can feel even greater.
Sometimes the anxiety appears as obvious worry. But children don't always have the words to explain what they're feeling.
Instead, you might notice:
These behaviours may be their way of communicating that something feels overwhelming.
One of the simplest things we can offer an anxious child is our attention.
Rather than immediately trying to reassure them with "You'll be fine", try asking gentle questions.
"What part of going back are you most worried about?"
"Is there anything you're looking forward to?"
"What would make the first day feel a little easier?"
Sometimes simply putting a worry into words can make it feel more manageable.
Try not to say "Don't be anxious." Instead say,
"It's okay to feel nervous. I'm here, and we'll work it out together."
A little preparation can go a long way.
Start returning to normal bedtimes and morning routines before school begins. If possible, practise the journey to school, organise uniforms and school bags together, and talk through what the first day might look like.
For younger children, a visual timetable or simple morning routine can be particularly reassuring.
It can also help to focus on the things your child is looking forward to. Seeing a particular friend, a favourite lesson, a club or simply coming home for their favourite dinner.
One of the things that attracts many families to homeopathy is its individualised approach.
Rather than choosing a remedy simply because a child has "school anxiety", I will look at the whole picture — how the child experiences their worries, what makes them better or worse, how they respond to change and how their emotions may be expressed physically.
Several children may be nervous about returning to school but all present very differently. It is through understanding the child's unique experience and characteristics that I can choose a remedy that matches their symptoms to produce a healing effect.
It's this individualised approach that is different to conventional medicine and is at the heart of homeopathic prescribing.
Gelsemium is often considered when anticipation is accompanied by a sense of heaviness, weakness or trembling. A child may appear quiet and apprehensive before an event and want to avoid the situation altogether. They may have droopy eye lids and complain of a headache over their eyes.
Argentum nitricum The child may become very worried about what is going to happen on the first day and repeatedly imagine everything that could go wrong. They may be restless, hurried or constantly seeking reassurance. Prone to butterflies in the tummy and diarrhoea.
Lycopodium may be considered where a child appears confident on the outside but experiences considerable apprehension underneath.
Worries about performance, getting things wrong or being judged may be particularly noticeable. These children often find their confidence a few days in to term or once engaged in the activity they had been dreading.
Aconitum is traditionally associated with sudden, intense states of fear or alarm.
They look different from the quieter, anticipatory nervousness that may be seen in other remedy pictures. They can feel claustrophobic, sweaty and thirsty. May also suffer with palpitations, flushing and shortness of breath.
Calc carb love routines and any change to a routine can cause anxiety. They are home birds and like nothing better than being at home with their family. They can be stubborn and like to do things in their own time. They can tire easily and like to do things in their own time. Children prone to ear aches, tonsillitis and constipation.
This is perhaps one of the most important principles to understand about homeopathy.
A remedy isn't chosen simply because a child is feeling "anxious". The aim is to consider the child's individual symptoms and choose a remedy that closely matches. The correct remedy can be transformative and can be repeated as and when needed.
If you have any questions helping your anxious child with homeopathy you can book a 15 minute discovery call using my Appointment tab. I'd love to help.
