“This is not a simple recovery – underlines Dr. Silvia Riboldi psychotherapist – after a long period away from school, the return to school must be managed with all the necessary precautions”.
A return to school this, different from all the others.
The first bell took on different meanings for children and teenagers. On the one hand, the older ones are returning to socialize and compare themselves with their peers, taking up a formative and growth discourse. A speech that, due to the pandemic, they were forced to stop.
On the other hand, for the little ones, returning means leaving the “nest” and confronting themselves for the first time or after a long time with the outside world, with the joys and pitfalls it represents.
The return to school and the resumption of school and extracurricular activities, after the summer holidays, normally creates anxiety, fear and agitation that usually disappear in a few weeks. Often, it is fear of the unknown, new classmates, teachers or the thought of having to study difficult subjects, and this could increase the stress levels for children at the beginning of school.
This year, however, the children may have to deal with greater difficulties, because returning to school after so many months of closures and isolation, can be experienced by students as a complicated trauma that could cause strong disturbing emotions, with an increase in psychological discomfort. Discomforts related to fear, anxiety and stress, which can also translate into physical ailments.
“The psychological distress, which is expressed both emotionally, in relationships, and cognitively, in learning, has grown a lot with the pandemic – highlights David Lazzari President of the National Council of Psychologists – precisely in a situation where more psychological resources would be needed. to face the challenges of the present and the future “.
We are rightly concerned about the physical health of children and teachers and trying to take the most suitable measures, but well-being and psychological health should not be left behind, also because the pandemic has affected above all these aspects among children and young people.
“A path that must be managed with extreme care” explains Dr. Silvia Riboldi, specialized in cognitive behavioral psychotherapy for adolescents and children, a psychologist at Formazioneinfanzia.it, the Mustela portal for childhood professionals.
“This is not a simple recovery – underlines the doctor – after a long period away from school, the return to school must be managed with all the necessary precautions. Some experienced distance learning as a moment of relief. Now, on the other hand, lessons and face-to-face questions will return, which could cause anxiety in the most fragile pupils. It is up to the parents and also the teachers to manage this moment of transition. Different speech, however, for the little ones. The separation from parents and from home, with all that it means, represents a real break “.
What to do? What do the experts suggest?
Sharing and listening remain the key words because hearing what the kids have to say reassures them and helps them to recognize themselves.
With the little ones, a gradual detachment becomes crucial, green pass permitting. Physically accompanying the children inside the classroom allows them to become familiar with the new reality avoiding a traumatic impact.
What is generally required right now is an effort of inclusion to allow adolescents and children to begin building or rebuilding their social identity. It is therefore important to listen to parents and teachers and above all the ability to encourage children to express their emotions, even when they appear confused, to help them better manage this emotional wave so as not to be overwhelmed by a load that risks disorienting, especially the little ones.
A challenge that cannot be won alone, but that must see all the protagonists forming a common front: parents, teachers, all school staff. After the months of darkness and fear, it is the moment of rebirth, in which everyone is called to make their contribution.