Back to School

How did you feel the night before the first day of a new school year? Do you remember? Was it hopeful anticipation or maybe fearful dread? Both? Perhaps our ability to feel two opposing emotions at one time can help us find something positive in uneasy situations. And perhaps remembering your own feelings about the start of a new school year can help you empathize with your patients, either parents or students, currently experiencing the same emotions. We all have a love/hate relationship with beginning a new school year, whether you are a parent, a student, or merely a commuter stuck in bus traffic. Let’s start with what we love.

1. Routine

Though creating a routine comes easier to some than others, we all thrive on it. By the end of the summer,or sooner, we grow weary of the long, lazy (sometimes crazy) days. The newness and promise of summer fun fades as reality sinks in: children bicker, parents struggle to find daytime care, the heat forces us to stay indoors, and phones, tablets and TVs dominate downtime; which never successfully alleviates the boredom. And all the moms think, “I can’t wait until school starts!” The crave for routine rises up, and even children begin to look forward to their days in the classroom with familiar faces, class schedules, and a routine. Surely those who struggle to create and follow a routine benefit when they are thrust into it. Welcomed, it may be, after a long break.

2. A Clean Slate (literally & figuratively)

Long gone are the days of the old, slate blackboard. A new school year brings clean whiteboards, new dry-erase markers, freshly waxed floors. These things are good for a teacher’s heart, but there is nothing more exciting for a teacher than a clean classroom, a fresh place for back to school goals and dreams to come alive. There is something refreshing about a new start. It brings the promise of new opportunities and possibilities. Everyone needs a chance at redemption, and the new school year is the perfect opportunity to start off on a good foot with a new teacher or classmate.

3. Supplies

Some people really get a kick out of school supplies. I remember the excitement of purchasing a new backpack, notebook and folder because it was an opportunity to express my own style and personality. Lisa Frank, anyone? Even today, I love perusing notebook and planner options. A new bullet journal is one of my favorite things. While adults like parents and teachers dread the stress of supply lists, children look forward to the opportunity to get something shiny and new. Store shelves stocked with shiny, new supplies entices any student to get excited about entering the classroom again.

4. New People

Binders and bookmarks are not the only things that bring joy to a student’s heart. Real joy comes with relationships. While anxiety surrounding the social aspects of school is real for many students, new friends and teachers can be just the thing such students need. On many occasions as a student, I looked forward to meeting new teachers. The opportunity to form new relationships, especially as a teenager, for me meant closing the door on past mistakes. These new relationships helped me move forward in life and press on toward successful school years. Do you remember a favorite teacher? How did that relationship impact your life? Imagine the countless number of children about to form relationships with new-to-them teachers. Teachers have a wonderful impact on our lives!

5. Weather

Wow! This one. It’s the best. Each year in the midwest, we look forward to a break from the heat and humidity. Soon after the kids head back to school, the signs of autumn appear: occasionally cool breezes, brightly colored, changing leaves of the maple trees, cinnamon and spice scented and flavored everything. Soon we will attend bonfires and hayrides. As the busyness of school routines begin to bog us down, the cool sweetness of the season offers fall fun. Who doesn’t love this time of year? 

And the Few that We Don’t...

Not all the children (or parents, for that matter) find the return to school comforting. In addition to anxiety they feel about school, they may be experiencing uncomfortable situations when they see you. The welcome time of the new school year and the coming autumn weather brings with it some unwelcome heath challenges. Children and parents experiencing these situations feel many things, but comfort is usually not one of them. Unless, of course, it comes from you!

1. Cold and Flu

This dreaded season beats us down every year. As children return to crowded halls and classrooms, germs spread and abound. Doctors and nurses to their part to advocate prevention, but the reality of illness remains. The healthcare professionals that they turn to have the opportunity to share help and comfort. You are a much needed ally against the spread of illness that students and their parents fight all season long. When the time comes, remember these tips to encourage yourself and your patients in fighting the cold and flu season.

2. Vaccines

Many parents feel the stress of this topic. Your office may flood with patients awaiting their updated shots just before the start of school. The vaccine schedule is much more complicated than it was 15 or 20 years ago because so many more diseases are vaccine-preventable. The child’s needs, the law, the schedule can all be confusing for parents. Of course, some young children fear the doctor's office for this reason alone. Rushed appointments and anxiety surrounding shots before the start of school diminish excitement of going back to school.

3. Sports Injuries

According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and the American Academy of Pediatrics, emergency rooms treat more than 775,000 children for sports-related injuries yearly. These are not high school kids but children under age 14! If you have a child in a sport, you understand the stress of keeping practice schedules and showing up for games and meets. An injury halts the enjoyment and enrichment that sports bring, and it adds stress upon stress to a family. Such an injury can turn a promising new school year into difficult and discouraging days. As more and more younger children join in competitive sports, healthcare providers treat an increasing amount of youngsters and warn against the stress that their bodies are not yet ready to handle.

Bonus!My favorite thing about the back to school season is crisp, clean new clothes! The school year can be a time for you to bring comfort and kindness to a patient dealing with some of the unpopular matters of going back to school, and fun, festive scrubs can help achieve that goal. Now is the perfect time to order a custom scrub top for everyone’s favorite season! Check out these options for short sleeved or long sleeved autumn scrub tops in my shop.