Move Past the 'Back to School Blues'

Published August 28, 2025

Is the thought of summer recess ending making your child anxious about returning to school this fall? Are "Back to School" department store commercials launching your children into existential crises?

We understand; in fact, we know that your children are not the only ones who feel that way. Every year, millions of children across the United States experience some form of anxiety when thinking about returning to school after summer recess. Even children who love school can have a tough time adjusting to their typical school routines after a whole summer away from their classrooms.

Fortunately, here at NYC Public Schools, we've worked through our share of tried and true methods over the years and have seen for ourselves which strategies have worked best to help our own children feel ready for Day 1 and beyond. Try some (or all) of the following suggestions, and see if your child begins to perk up about heading back into the classroom this fall!

Work with your child and their friend's parents to set up at least one final playdate or gathering before the start of the school year. (Photo by Max Fischer. Original photo, 'A Young Boy Riding a Skateboard,' can be found on Pexels.)

___

Ask your child how they're feeling about returning to school, listen to their responses, and find supportive ways to address any concerns they may have.

Give your child the opportunity to be open about whatever may be on their minds about the upcoming school year. Perhaps there is an unresolved issue from last school year that may still be on your child's mind? Could they be concerned about this year's new cell phone policy? Or maybe your child has second thoughts about being in a new classroom, school, or bus/train route?

Talking to your child and actively listening to what they say will be incredibly validating for them—remember, your goal is to help your child feel better about going back to school! Be clear and honest with your child about what will be expected of them heading into the school year, and allow them the chance to respond to you in kind. You may even learn that your child's concerns heading into this school year sound very familiar; think about what YOU would have wanted to hear from your parents back when you were the same age. If there's something you can do to help them feel ready for Day 1, then do what you can. Just be aware that you may have to have conversations like these across multiple days—it can certainly be a process!

Talk to your children about your expectations from them for the upcoming school year. Tell them what you know about their classroom assignments, their teachers, and the topics that they are going to review for the school year.

Directly following up from our first tip above, give your child a small preview of what their school year will be like. Answer questions like, will they be getting homework? Who's going to be their homeroom teacher? When will tryouts begin? How early will they need to wake up to get to school on time? What will their after school arrangements look like? Who's picking them up? When is bed time?

Giving your children this information up front heading into the new school year can help them feel a bit more ownership over their own education. Alternatively for older children, you can direct your child to seek out much of this information for themselves and hold them accountable for the answers.

Have your child read a fun, yet grade-appropriate book of their choice before the start of the new school year.

Getting your child to read a book about a week or two before the start of the school year helps to ease them back into classroom work. You can help the cause by encouraging them to pick a book about a person, topic, or idea that interests them—check our our What We're Reading archives for book suggestions, and stop by our City libraries to scoop up your last week summer reads!

Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh new fit, a new bookbag, or a cool new notebook cover to get your child excited about the first day of school. Have your child pick out some of their school supplies and clothes, and see if they get a little more pep in their step! (Photo by Tiger Lily. Original photo, 'Woman Standing Behind Girl and...' can be found on Pexels.

Try to arrange at least one last playdate on your child's behalf before the start of the school year.

This bit of advice is mostly for parents of elementary school-aged children—see if you can get in one last playdate with your child's friends before school begins. Friends may be just the thing to help your child feel better about heading into the classroom this September!

Reestablish consistent bedtimes and schedules in the last few days before the first day of school.

The time for late bedtimes and even later mornings is now OVER—if you haven't already, start getting your child into bed on time as if they were already back in school. Kids should have 8–12 hours of sleep a night—make sure they are going to bed with enough time to sleep before they are expected to wake up the next day.

We also suggest you test whatever you and your family use to wake you up during the school year (i.e. phone alarms, alarm clocks, dogs ready for "outside," etc), and make sure you can rely on them to get you and your family to start your school days on time!

Suggest journal writing to your child and encourage them to start writing their thoughts down on a daily basis.

Keeping a personal journal is one of the most helpful things a person can do to help improve their mental and physical well-being. If your child has strong feelings about their transition out of the summer season, getting them to write about their circumstances can be really helpful as they get accustomed to "school life" again.

Having your child read a book before the first day of school is a good way to get your child's brain ready for learning on Day 1! (Photo by RDNE Stock Project. Original, 'Mother and Daughter Reading Book Together,' can be found on Pexels.)

Allow your child to pick out some of their school supplies for the school year.

As you pick up their classroom supplies for the upcoming school year, give your child the chance to select which supplies they'll use. A fresh new backpack or some cool folder covers may be just the thing to get your child to be excited about the first day of school!

New to a school? Visit the school community with your child before Day 1, and see what the surrounding neighborhood is like at different parts of the day.

Help your child become better acquainted with their new school community by visiting it with them just before the start of the school year. Try to get a sense of how crowded or quiet the neighborhood can get, and see what local businesses and public parks are around. You may even consider stopping by a local restaurant or cafe to get an even better feel for your child's new school community. And don't forget to time how long it takes to get to your child's new school, whether on foot, by public transit, or some other transportation method.

Watch out for any concerning behaviors, such as your child avoiding things that they typically love, or excessive outbursts that don't go away with parental support and soothing.

Now, it's normal for children to feel sad or down about the end of summer recess—after all, who wouldn't feel sad about having a BEDTIME again? But it's another thing entirely if your child's behavior seems completely odd for extended periods of time despite your best efforts to help them feel better. If your child starts showing flashes of anger at random times, no longer wants to eat their favorite meals and/or play with their favorite toys and electronic devices, or begins to forcefully refuse to go to school, we encourage you to make a note of this behavior and consider speaking with your family doctor or child's school counselor if the behavior continues past the first couple of weeks of school.

Be on the lookout to see if your child's feeling better about being back in school once the school year begins. If you don't see any real improvements, or begin seeing worsening or even more concerning behaviors, talk to child's physician or school counselor about your concerns. (Photo by Mikhail Nilov. Original photo, 'Boy Feeling Outcast in School,' can be found on Pexels.')

___

We hope these tips can help lighten up whatever "blues" your child may be feeling about the first day of school! For more Back to School tips and features, check out our official Back to School webpage, scroll through our official Back to School checklist, and definitely get ready for Day 1 to make your child's first day a truly special one.

On behalf of NYC Public Schools, we wish you all a wonderful start to the new school year!

Banner photo by Kaboompics.com. Original photo can be found on Pexels. Teaser/thumbnail photo by RDNE Stock Project can be loaded on Pexels.

Enrollment

Learning

School Life

Connect with NYCPS