Starting a new school year can bring a mix of excitement and worry for many children and families across Perth. For some children, returning to school also brings heightened anxiety, particularly after school holidays, changes in routine, or previous challenging experiences. Back-to-school anxiety is a common and understandable response for children aged 4–12, and it can affect parents just as deeply.
As a parent, you may find yourself supporting your child’s emotional needs while managing your own stress, work demands, and concerns about how they will cope at school. This blog explores evidence-informed ways to support children with school anxiety, while also highlighting the importance of caring for yourself during this transition. These strategies are commonly discussed by Perth child psychologists and allied health professionals supporting local families.
What causes back-to-school anxiety in children?
Children can experience anxiety about returning to school for many different reasons. Common contributors include changes in daily routines, separation from caregivers, worries about friendships, learning expectations, or navigating busy and sensory-rich classroom environments.
For some children, past experiences such as academic struggles, social difficulties, or periods of illness can influence how safe or manageable school feels. Children who are sensitive to noise, crowds, or unstructured social situations may find the school environment particularly overwhelming.
It is important to remember that anxiety is not a sign of weakness or poor behaviour. Instead, it reflects a child’s nervous system responding to uncertainty or perceived pressure. Neurodivergent children, including those with autism or ADHD, may experience additional layers of stress related to sensory input, transitions, or social communication. A neuroaffirming approach, commonly used by child psychologists in Perth, focuses on understanding these needs rather than pushing children to simply “push through”.
How can I support my child with school anxiety in practical ways?
Supporting a child with back-to-school anxiety often starts with connection, predictability, and emotional safety. Keeping routines consistent around sleep, meals, and morning schedules can help children feel more settled and reduce anxiety before the school day begins.
Talking through what the school day might look like in a calm, age-appropriate way can reduce uncertainty. Visual schedules, gentle reminders, or practising parts of the morning routine ahead of time may also help some children feel more prepared.
Emotional validation is a powerful tool. Letting your child know their worries make sense — without immediately trying to fix or minimise them — helps them feel heard. You might say that starting school can feel big or overwhelming, and that many children feel this way at the beginning of the year.
Some children benefit from learning simple coping strategies such as slow breathing, grounding activities, or having a comfort item in their school bag. Others may need gradual transitions or extra reassurance at drop-off. There is no single right approach — flexibility and responsiveness are often more helpful than aiming for a perfect routine.
Why parent wellbeing matters during school transitions
Parents often focus all their energy on supporting their child, while overlooking their own emotional wellbeing. However, children are highly attuned to the emotional climate around them and may take cues from how adults respond to stress and uncertainty.
Caring for yourself does not mean you need to stay calm at all times or hide your feelings. Instead, it involves noticing when you are feeling overwhelmed, seeking support, and setting realistic expectations for both yourself and your child.
Modelling self-compassion, emotional regulation, and help-seeking sends an important message that it is okay to need support during challenging transitions. Many Perth psychologists emphasise that supporting parents is a key part of helping children thrive emotionally.
When to consider extra support for back-to-school anxiety
For some families, back-to-school anxiety settles with time, routine, and reassurance. For others, anxiety may remain intense, interfere with daily functioning, or cause significant distress for the child or family.
If your child is experiencing ongoing emotional distress, frequent physical symptoms, school refusal, or significant changes in mood or behaviour, seeking professional support can be a helpful next step.
Child psychologists in Perth can work with children and parents to better understand anxiety, build coping strategies, and support emotional regulation in a way that respects each child’s individual needs and strengths.
At Prosper Health Collective, our psychologists support families across Booragoon, Canning Vale, and Stirling, offering compassionate, neuroaffirming care for children and parents navigating school transitions.
If you are considering additional support for your child or yourself, you can find more information or book an appointment here:
Back-to-school anxiety can feel challenging, but with understanding, the right support, and care for both your child and yourself, this transition does not have to be faced alone.