Erika Bocknek, associate professor of Educational Psychology in the College of Education, spoke on WWJ, “Addressing back to school anxiety.”
WWJ, 8/10
Addressing back to school anxiety
Feeling anxious is especially common for students starting at a new school and for children who already have anxiety. Dr. Erika Bocknek, associate professor of educational psychology at Wayne State University, said communication is key: start talking with your child, whether it be in the car or at the dinner table. “If it isn’t natural for your family to be talking about feelings words, you could use other words like ‘I wonder what the school year’s going to be like,’ or ‘I’m expecting the school year to be like X, Y or Z…’” she said. “’Think, expect, wonder – those are all mental state words that can get the conversation moving.” Dr. Bocknek said parents can also talk about they’re feeling, or tell a story from their past about starting a new school year."