Advice on settling back into school

Returning to a new way of schooling is bringing challenges and difficulties to young people and their parents. From the wearing of face masks, temperature checks, social distancing and many more new regimes to adhered to, students may become overwhelmed by it all.

To ease a student into the new academic year, Kinsale Youth Support Services (KYSS) are encouraging parents and young people to familiarise themselves with the new safety measures that schools have put in place.

According to KYSS health worker Ger Rice, the biggest thing of all is to communicate – nothing will ever get resolved without communication. ‘Talk to your young person, ask them how they are coping with the new changes and what they are comfortable with. Remember, don’t just listen, actively listen!’

He continued: ‘As parents, we are so quick to jump in with answers and reactions to help fix the problem. However, more often than not we escalate the situation. 

‘Our young people will just want to vent about something, and our role is to not just listen, but actively listen. By actively listening to our young people, we encourage more communication and express more empathy towards their new challenges.’ 

Every young person is different, some will adapt to the new schooling like ducks to water, while others not so much. Give it time, if your young person isn’t settling in, contact your school, have a chat with the teacher, and see how best to support your young person.

Kinsale Youth Support Services is available for young people, parents, and family members to offer free advice, guidance and support in these strange times. Don’t be afraid to reach out, as doing nothing is not the right option.