Fear and anxiety can be prevalent among youngsters, especially in the early weeks of a new term when they can face new work and fresh challenges.
If you think your child might be worried about the situations they are facing, it’s important to be open with them and to talk about their concerns.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, around one in six children are affected by mental health issues, but there’s a raft of support available which can help young people, both in the classroom and at home.
Learning from failure often forms a key part of education and of developing understanding, but not all children will see it that way.
A fear of failure often has an impact on confidence, and some children will also get upset when are unable to complete tasks as expected. Others may even throw in the towel before giving it a go.
In such instances, there’s a need to emphasise the process and effort needed, and to convince your child to persevere in order to aid their development.
This level of encouragement exists in classrooms across the country, but you may find that your child requires additional help to overcome any fears and anxieties they may have.
A new school year brings with it new topics, and in some cases new subjects as well, both of which can cause anxiety if a pupil is unsure of anything.
Fortunately, a range of support is available, such as opting for sessions with a qualified tutor who’ll be able to provide online 1-on-1 help with work that youngsters may not have encountered before.
Tutors can tailor their teaching to focus on specific areas where your child may be struggling, providing a confidence boost as they tackle new work.
This can also be beneficial in instances where a youngster may be falling behind with their studies – again, this can be common in the early stages of a year if a child is faced with a subject matter they don’t quite understand.
Given the disruption to education in the last two years, some elements of the curriculum may also not have been taught, another factor that could increase their anxiety levels.
A number of charities have a range of online resources available to help both children and parents when it comes to providing mental health support.
These will often help you to chat through issues with your child, providing practical tips and other guidance on an array of key topics.
The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families and Young Minds are two such examples, while Heads Together, a mental health initiative by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, also has resources to support children’s mental health.
Sources: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/c/children-and-young-people