Preparing for Back-to-School: Mental Health Tips for Families
- Kristin Kurian
- Aug 4, 2025
- 4 min read
By a Teen Therapist Supporting Anxious Teens and Their Parents
As summer winds down, the start of a new school year brings a wave of anticipation, and, for many families, a surge of anxiety. Whether your child is starting high school, transitioning to middle school, or simply returning after the summer break, back-to-school stress is real. As a therapist who works closely with anxious teens and their families, I’ve seen how this transition can stir up a mix of emotions: excitement, worry, overwhelm, and everything in between.
Let’s take a moment to unpack why this time of year can feel so intense, and how you can support your family’s mental health as you navigate it together.
Understanding Back-to-School Stress
Starting a new school year means facing the unknown. There are new teachers to meet, new routines to adjust to, social pressures to navigate, and academic expectations to meet. For anxious teens, these changes can feel like an avalanche. Even small things, like remembering a locker combination or finding someone to sit with at lunch, can trigger big feelings.
Parents often feel this stress too. You may worry about your child’s emotional wellbeing, academic performance, or friendships. If your teen has struggled in the past, this time of year might bring up concerns about how they’ll cope again. And if your family dynamic is already under strain, the added pressure of school routines can amplify tension at home.
The good news? There are ways to ease the transition and strengthen your family’s mental health along the way.
Tips to Support Your Family’s Back-to-School Mental Health
Here are a few supportive, practical strategies I often share with families in my therapy practice:
1. Start the Routine Early
Help your child’s nervous system adjust by easing into the school-year schedule a week or two in advance. Shift wake-up and bedtimes gradually, and talk through what mornings will look like. For anxious kids, knowing what to expect can make a big difference.
2. Normalize the Nerves
It’s completely normal to feel a bit anxious before school starts, let your child know this. Share your own back-to-school memories, name the feelings you notice in them, and remind them that feeling nervous doesn’t mean they’re not ready. It means they care.
3. Try “3 Roses and 1 Thorn” on the Ride Home
This simple check-in tool gives kids a chance to process their day in a low-pressure way. Ask them to name three “roses” - things that went well or were neutral - and one “thorn” - something that felt hard or frustrating. It supports back-to-school mental health by building self-awareness and encourages open dialogue without the heaviness of “How was your day? It can also give you insight into what’s really going on beneath the surface.
4. Create a Calm Corner at Home
Having a go-to space where your child can decompress after school is powerful. It doesn’t have to be fancy, a favourite chair, a soft blanket, some fidgets or art supplies, and low lighting can help them settle after a stimulating day.
5. Build in Downtime
Back-to-school often comes with jam-packed schedules, but teens need time to reset. Try protecting 15–30 minutes after school for unstructured time, no homework, no chores, no screens. Just a quiet moment to breathe, regroup, or talk.
6. Talk About Values, Not Just Grades
Instead of focusing solely on performance, create a culture of self-reflection at home. Ask: “What did you learn today?” or “What felt tricky and how did you handle it?” These questions promote resilience, curiosity, and internal motivation, which are great buffers against back-to-school stress.
How Therapy Can Support Back-toSchool Mental Health
Therapy during this time can be incredibly grounding, for both teens and parents.
For anxious teens, therapy offers a safe space to explore their feelings, learn coping tools, and reconnect with their inner strengths. Using evidence-based approaches like CBT, DBT, and Internal Family Systems (IFS), I help teens build emotional regulation skills, reduce overwhelm, and feel more confident navigating school challenges.
Parents can also benefit from support. Parent support counselling can strengthen communication at home, reduce conflict, and help you better understand your child’s needs. Sometimes, just having a space where you can exhale and process your own worries makes all the difference in how you show up for your child.
Whether your family is dealing with big transitions or subtle stressors, therapy can help you face the school year feeling more connected, supported, and equipped to handle whatever comes next.
Ready to Start the School Year with Support?
If this season feels heavier than usual, you don’t have to navigate it all on your own. I offer therapy for teens, young adults, and parents looking to manage back-to-school mental health challenges, reduce anxiety, and build resilience.
Whether you’re curious about starting therapy for your teen or wondering how to support your child’s mental health more effectively, I’d love to connect.
You’re doing your best, and support is always here when you need it.
Take good care,
Kristin Kurian, RP, MA, MHSc
Therapy for Teens, Young Adults & Parents in-person in Toronto and virtual across Canada