New Semester D-1... How to Take Care of Your Child's Mental Health on Their First Day of School

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[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] As the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant remains intense, the start of the new school term nationwide is just one day away. Due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, the first two weeks after the start of school have been designated as a "new semester adjustment period," during which schools are encouraged to operate flexibly with shortened classes, remote learning, and other measures.

However, there is also concern that students who are newly entering school or changing classmates may experience "new semester anxiety" symptoms. Professor Kim Bung-nyeon, a pediatric and adolescent psychiatrist at Seoul National University Hospital, advised, "Children may struggle due to various anxiety-inducing factors at the beginning of the semester. It is good to help them look forward to an enjoyable school life through rehearsal for school preparation and to avoid unnecessarily triggering anxiety."

For children, elementary school is a place where new and diverse educational, play, and peer activities are possible, as well as where rules, discipline, and learning in group life begin. This is why tension and anxiety may increase before enrollment. If anxiety grows, difficulties in school adjustment or severe separation anxiety symptoms such as school refusal may occur.

To prevent this, parental efforts are needed, including ▲talking about topics that foster positive expectations about school ▲spending time familiarizing the child with the school environment ▲experiencing classroom activities in advance through simple 'role-playing' ▲ encouraging the child to naturally commute with friends assigned to the same school.

In particular, with the increase in remote classes due to the COVID-19 situation, parents' concerns are also growing. Since remote classes can reduce children's concentration, parental support is necessary in this regard as well. Remote classes feel much more boring than face-to-face classes, so it helps to guide children to organize their surroundings to reduce distractions, and for younger students, parental guidance to help them follow the lessons well is beneficial. Also, after classes, connecting to activities the child enjoys as a reward for attending class well is recommended.

Furthermore, as the COVID-19 pandemic prolongs and meetings with peers decrease, many parents worry about their children's social skills declining. To overcome this, encouraging children to meet friends living nearby at playgrounds or sports fields to engage in physical activities together greatly helps social recovery and mental health improvement. Also, although recent online communities and social networking services (SNS) often have negative social impacts, online activities conducted under parental guidance can be a good alternative activity for children to gain social experience.

Professor Kim Bung-nyeon, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.