Back to School Anxiety?

Back to School!

The summer is coming to an end, and school is back in session! That’s right, it is time to prepare for the school term, and parents are checking off their to-do list. It is the time to purchase school supplies, and prepare your child for the upcoming school term. Do not forget to add chiropractic care on your to-do list for your kiddo! Returning to school can be a stressful time for your child, as they are transitioning from summer relaxation, to school stressors.

Back to school “jitters” can be emotionally overwhelming for your child. Those that already have a hard time with transitioning from one activity to another tend to find “back to school” to be particularly stressful. This stress and anxiety can also affect you as the parent by worrying the anticipated timebomb at drop off! There are also chemical and physical stressors, such as carrying heavy backpacks and being exposed to many germs and viruses. Chiropractic care can help assist with removing those stressors, keeping the body in a more relaxed state, and relieving overall stress and anxiety.

Signs of Stress

School can be extremely exhausting with tons of homework and tight schedules.

Signs of stressors can show up in various ways in children. The most common sign is difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep throughout the night. You may notice that your little one is staying up longer, or unable to get up for school because of exhaustion. Chiropractic adjustments can help your nervous system work efficiently in order to utilize more energy. Regression is also a sign to monitor in stressed kiddos. You may notice temper tantrums, not eating, and/or changes in emotional regulation. Certainly, there may be more or less signs that are present in your child, however, it is great to monitor these possible stressors and reactions. You know your child best, and signs of stress and anxiety can be unique to your LO. Here are a few helpful tips to prevent any stressors that your child may face.

Check out our blog on stress and constipation

Helpful Tips

1. Heavy

Backpack

Picking a backpack is probably the most exciting task for your kiddo. However, what looks good, can possibly lead to back issues later. Some backpacks are not durable to hold the materials that are necessary for school. An ideal backpack should have padded straps, and be worn on both shoulders. It is important to weigh your child’s backpack to ensure it is not heavy. According to the American Chiropractic Association, your child’s backpack should weigh no more than 5 to 10 percent of his or her body weight. A heavy backpack may cause your child to lean or bend forward in an attempt to support the weight and pressure on their back.

2. Essential Oils

Aromatherapy is a natural remedy that can help relieve chemical stressors. Utilizing essential oils, such as Super Kiddo and Super Mom available here in our office, can help reduce stress and anxiety to engage a general state of calm. Oils can be applied topically or diffused to get the amazing benefits to a child's nervous system. Remember that the body works best with repetition, so use daily!

3. Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic adjustments benefit your overall nervous system by relieving the stress that the body is up against. It helps the body adapt to changes and possible stressors that come on a day to day basis. Consistent care results in optimum performance, which promotes an effective parasympathetic system that allows the overactive body to rest properly and calm down. We have the technology in our office to detect this stress and address it specifically! When the overall input that is going from the body to the brain is already "loud" -

sudden changes in schedule, routine, and comforts can be overwhelming to a kiddo. Our goal is to calm down their nervous system so that they can adapt to stress and handle transitions with ease.