Tips to Support Your Child Throughout the School Year with Kelsey Torgerson
A new school year can be really exciting and there are so many things to focus on and learn. And it is really important to maintain healthy routines and emotional well-being at the same time. As school demands increase, kids and teens may experience stress, anxiety, frustration, or changes in confidence.
The St. Louis anxiety therapists and the St. Louis parent coaching team at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis know that school adds many different things to every families plate. The good news is that small, consistent habits at home can help your child feel more resilient, confident, and prepared to handle the challenges of the school year.
Image Credit: Unsplash Tim Mossholder @timmossholder
Create Predictable Routines
Kids and teens do well when they know what to expect. Consistent morning, homework, bedtime, and evening routines help reduce stress and create a sense of stability, especially during busy school weeks.
Routines can be flexible, they don't have to be rigid. A simple scheduled outline can help your child feel more organized and in control.
You can read more about creating peaceful bedtime routines from Compassionate Counseling St. Louis owner and founder, Kelsey Torgerson, LCSW (formerly Kelsey Torgerson Dunn), in her blog Bedtime Battles: How to Help Your Child Sleep Better.
We often think of a sleep schedule as simply a bedtime and a wake-up time, but kids need more structure than that. Compassionate Counseling St. Louis founder, Kelsey Torgerson (formerly Kelsey Torgerson Dunn), recommends mapping out the entire evening routine - from after school until lights out.
Focus on Effort, Not Perfection
Many kids and teens put pressure on themselves to earn perfect grades or avoid mistakes. Instead of focusing on the outcomes, acknowledge and celebrate your child's effort, persistence, and willingness to keep trying.
This encourages a growth mindset and helps build confidence, even when school feels challenging.
Kelsey Torgerson (formerly Kelsey Torgerson Dunn) specializes in working with teens and college students who battle perfectionism.
We slow things down enough to name what is happening in your body and your thoughts. We practice small skills that make a real difference in class, during tests, with friends, and at home.
Encourage Healthy Coping Skills
Every child, teen, and college student experiences stress from time to time. Helping them practice healthy coping strategies throughout the school year can make it easier to manage difficult emotions.
Some helpful coping skills include:
Taking slow, calming breaths
Moving their body through play or exercise
Taking short breaks during homework
Using positive self-talk
Talking with a trusted adult about their feelings
Practicing these skills during calm periods makes them easier to use during stressful moments.
You can check out more coping skills to practice at home from Compassionate Counseling St. Louis founder, Kelsey in her blog on Our Favorite Relaxation Activities for Kids and Teens.
When you have anxiety or anger management issues, you need a big toolbox of robust interventions.
The more relaxation activities you have at your finger tips, the better equipped you are the handle the stressors that inevitably come your way.
Support Independence
As kids grow, they benefit from having opportunities to solve problems and make age-appropriate decisions.
Rather than immediately fixing every challenge, guide your child through questions like:
What do you think might help?
What are a few options?
What would you like to try first?
Building problem-solving skills helps develop confidence in and beyond the classroom.
Kelsey talks about supporting your child and how to handle anxiety as a parent in her blog Parent-Teacher Conferences in April: “Wait… has this been going on all year?”
If this is sounding familiar, the goal isn’t to “fix” the behavior in the moment - it’s to understand what’s underneath it.
Stay Connected with School
Maintaining open communication with your child's teacher can help everyone stay on the same page. Celebrate successes, ask questions when concerns arise, and work together to support your child's learning and emotional well-being.
A collaborative relationship between home and school often leads to better outcomes for children.
In School Anxiety Therapy, Kelsey talks about a two-pronged approach to game-planning support for your child throughout the school year.
Because our sphere of influence doesn’t always include the school setting, it’s important to bring in the decision makers who can help with managing the school anxiety.
Supporting Your Child One Day at a Time
There is no such thing as a perfect school year. Every student will experience successes, setbacks, and opportunities to grow.
There are many ways to support your child throughout their school year - whether they are in pre-school, elementary school, high school, or college. Sometimes counseling for your child or parent coaching for yourself can help really highlight the best ways to create that supportive space for your family.
Kelsey specializes in working with teens and college students and knows that keeping parents in the loop and sharing with the parents of her clients how they can support them at home is an important aspect of teen counseling.
Parents receive guidance on how to support skills at home without pushing too hard. And if something is concerning, I will tell you clearly and quickly. The goal is a team approach that respects teen autonomy and keeps everyone safe.
When Extra Support May Help
It's very normal for children to have difficult days, but ongoing anxiety, frequent emotional outbursts, persistent sadness, or increasing school avoidance may be signs that they could benefit from additional support.
At Compassionate Counseling St. Louis, our therapists use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help children, teens, and college students better understand their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Through practical coping strategies and compassionate support, we help young people build confidence and resilience both in and out of the classroom.
Reach out today to schedule a free consultation call. You can learn more about our individual counseling options to support St. Louis kids and teens as well as our St. Louis parent coaching focused on supporting you as your support your child.
Interested in working with Kelsey? Are you googling around for “Play Therapy St. Louis” “St. Louis teen therapist” or “anxiety therapist St. Louis”? Looking for anxiety therapy or child therapy in St. Louis? Reach out to us at hello@compassionatecounselingstl.com. As child anxiety experts, we love working with kids, teens, college students and parents to help manage their anxiety, stress, and anger. Compassionate Counseling St. Louis is located in Clayton, MO and works with families by offering both in-person counseling and online therapy throughout St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Ladue, University City, Town and Country, Webster Groves, Creve Couer, Kirkwood, Richmond Heights, and Brentwood. We also provide online therapy Missouri -wide to teens and college students. You can set up your first free consult on this website, on our consultation page.