Back to School Anxiety: How to help your teen

The return to school can be a tricky time for some teenagers. Even when things look “fine” on the surface, there can be a lot going on underneath; worries about friendships, schoolwork, expectations, or just the shift back into routine.

As parents, we often try to reassure, “you’ll be fine”, “it’ll all be okay”, but if your teen is feeling anxious, you’ll know that doesn’t always help, and can sometimes leave them feeling angry and frustrated, when they think we don't understand:

When it’s about school, it can feel harder for them, because it’s not something they can opt out of.

In this session, Dr Sarah-Jane Knight talks about what back-to-school anxiety can look like in teenagers, including the subtle signs that are easy to miss, like irritability, withdrawal, or physical complaints such as headaches and stomach aches.

We'll discuss why transitions to new year groups, changing friendships, rising expectations, or even just the return after a long break, can increase anxiety, and what’s some of things that might be going on underneath those feelings.

Sarah-Jane will offer some practical ways parents can respond in the moment, how to keep communication open without pushing too hard, how to support your teen to face things in small, manageable steps, and how to avoid accidentally making the anxiety feel bigger.

This is a really common challenge for a lot of families, and one many parents worry about. The session is there to help you feel more confident in what you’re seeing and what you can do to support your teen through it.