What children don’t say about back-to-school anxiety

A child coach in Prague says September anxiety often goes unspoken as children face social fear, school transitions and pressure to adapt. The advice: parents should ask what children fear, not just how excited they are.

Why it matters: - Back-to-school season can trigger serious anxiety even when children look prepared on the surface. - Mental health research cited in the release shows anxiety is common among adolescents and often linked to school-related worries. - Parents who miss the signs may mistake quiet distress for a normal adjustment period.

What happened: - Lucie Strakova, a child and teen coach and founder of kidscoach.cz, described the start of the school year as one of the hardest emotional transitions for children. - Strakova said she has worked with children and young adults ages 3 to 22 for more than 20 years. - The release says 87% of parents report stress or anxiety about back-to-school, based on a Harris Poll conducted for Understood.org. - The National Institute of Mental Health puts anxiety disorders among adolescents ages 13 to 18 at 31.9%. - A recent survey found 64% of children’s worries are school-related. - Fewer than one in five children actively seek help when they are struggling, according to the release.

The details: - Anxiety has surpassed depression as the most commonly diagnosed mental health condition in children, with 16.1% formally diagnosed with an anxiety-related disorder. - Clinical psychologists say anxiety peaks during major transitions, including starting school, moving to secondary school or entering a new school. - Research cited in the release says children usually need six to eight weeks to adapt to a new environment. - Strakova said parents often focus on visible preparation such as notebooks, bedtimes and wall timetables. - Strakova said children are often dealing with fears about fitting in, being forgotten or not being enough. - Strakova said back-to-school anxiety is often treated as a one-week problem, but for many children it lasts longer and becomes quiet rather than resolved. - Strakova said children with added pressure at home may be especially vulnerable. - Her advice is to ask children what they are most afraid of, rather than only what they are excited about. - Strakova said parents should name the fear before trying to reassure it away. - Strakova said children do not just need reassurance that everything will be okay. - Strakova said children need an adult who will sit with the worry long enough to take it seriously.

Between the lines: - The release frames back-to-school anxiety as a hidden problem, not a visible one. - The emphasis on “quiet” distress suggests many children may not ask for help even when they need it. - The guidance shifts parental focus from logistics to emotional listening. - The message also suggests transition periods deserve more time and attention than families often give them.

What's next: - Strakova said she is available for interviews and expert commentary on children’s transition anxiety and the back-to-school season. - kidscoach.cz continues to offer one-to-one coaching for children, teenagers and young adults ages 3 to 22. - The practice works internationally with families online worldwide and in person in Prague, Czech Republic. - Sessions are available in English. - More information is available on Lucie Strakova’s LinkedIn profile.

The bottom line: - The backpack may be ready, but many children are carrying fears they never say out loud.