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The long summer vacation is almost over. All around us we see leaflets, advertising slogans with "Back to School. As a parent, a signal that the time of structure, order and regularity is back. But in children, this can also cause stress. Can we do anything about it? Experts claim that parents can play a very big role here. "Create a calm environment at home, and above all don't stress yourself as a parent. If there is a problem, have a dialogue with your child and listen carefully."
Just know that a little healthy stress before the new school year certainly doesn't hurt.

These tips will get you off to a good start:
1. As a parent, make sure you are ready yourself
A first day of school also creates extra stress moments for parents. Take your precautions to have a flawless routine. "Try to avoid the morning rush hour so you don't have to rush yourself," says Inez Buyck. "Children mirror their parents," also says Jürgen Peeters. Because if the parents feel good and radiate that, the child will be fine.

2. Create a beacon of calm in the home and start the switch early enough
Start the preparations well in advance to avoid last-minute things like buying school supplies. Let the kids go to bed a little earlier the day before, to bring in the school routine.

3. Speak positively about school and demonstrate its usefulness as a parent
"It's important as a parent to speak positively about school yourself," says Inez Buyck. Try to put school in a good light at unguarded moments, but there is more.
As a parent, you can demonstrate the benefits of (learning). "You can also try to integrate school into everyday life. For example, you can send your child to the bakery where they will have to count the pennies when they pay. That way you give the message that math is important, and that this is necessary."
Can school sometimes still be a task, after a long and "free" vacation for the children? "Then you can give the message that mom and dad have to go to work, and don't always like doing it either, but that that's the way it should be."

4. Engage in dialogue if there should be a problem and let your child participate in the solution
Stress in children can have a very specific, personal cause. At such times, engage in dialogue and talk about it. Let your child come up with his or her own solution, because that way he or she will feel more confident. As a parent, do not say, "That's okay" or "It's not important.

5. Work preventively: go into the woods or have a short pillow fight
"When children sit quietly in front of TV, they may be calm, but then they don't release tension"; says Peeters. Therefore, he recommends an activity in which they can "unload" and release tension, such as a pillow fight or going outside to play: "Go into the forest with all of you and leave the children there for an hour, so they can do spontaneous activities."

(FVDV for Tagtik/Source: Nieuwsblad - Klasse/Illustration picture: Pixabay)