Parenting Through Back-to-School Transitions: Supporting Your Child and Yourself
Back-to-school season is often painted as a time of fresh starts—new supplies, new teachers, new routines. But for many families, it also comes with a wave of anxiety. Children may worry about friendships, academic pressure, or new environments. Parents often feel the stress of holding it all together, balancing work, schedules, and their child’s emotional needs.
If you’re a parent, you may notice:
Sleepless nights before the first day of school
Heightened anxiety when your child resists going to school
A sense of overwhelm trying to manage schedules, meals, and homework
Guilt—wondering if you’re doing “enough” to support your child
You’re not alone. Back-to-school transitions are stressful for kids and parents—and therapy can be a resource for both.
Why Parents Feel the Stress Too
It’s easy to focus only on children’s anxiety, but parents’ nervous systems are impacted as well. When your child struggles, your body often mirrors their stress—tight shoulders, shallow breathing, racing thoughts. Add the pressure of juggling logistics, and your system may feel constantly “on.”
Therapy offers parents a place to pause, ground, and remember that you can only support your child as much as you’re supporting yourself.
Somatic Tools for Parents During School Transitions
Here are simple ways to regulate your own nervous system during this season:
Morning body reset: Take 2 minutes before the day starts to stretch or move.
Grounding touch: Place a hand on your chest or thighs and take three slow breaths.
Transition ritual: Create a goodbye routine (like a hug or mantra) that helps both you and your child feel settled.
Reframe the “shoulds”: Notice when self-critical thoughts come up (“I should be calmer,” “I should do more”) and replace them with curiosity: What support do I need right now?
When parents model nervous system regulation, children learn that big feelings can be navigated—not just endured.
How Stillpoint Therapists Support Parents
At Stillpoint Therapy Collective, we know parenting isn’t just about managing your child’s needs—it’s about caring for your whole family system, including yourself. Our therapists bring a compassionate, somatic, and relational approach to help parents:
Manage anxiety and guilt during transitions
Create sustainable family routines
Support children who struggle with back-to-school stress
Find balance between caring for others and caring for themselves
Meet Our Team Supporting Parents & Families
Bayley Azevedo, AMFT – Supports parents and young adults balancing stress, perfectionism, and identity exploration.
David De Lancelloti, APCC – Helps parents reconnect with themselves and their children through trauma-informed, body-based therapy. Specializes in working with the LGBTQ+ community.
Kara Sunwell, AMFT — Offers gentle, somatic therapy rooted in the Hakomi method, supporting clients through transitions, anxiety, and stress. She helps parents and families slow down, tune in, and respond to challenges with more compassion and presence. Kara is particularly skilled at working with teens and young adults, making her a supportive resource for families navigating back-to-school changes.
Tina Salomon-Tripp, AMFT – Attuned to cultural identity and family dynamics, supporting parents balancing tradition and personal growth.
Amy Toig, AMFT – Works with parents of trans and gender-expansive children, offering affirming support for families navigating identity and transitions.
Ellen Ottman, LMFT – Offers trauma-informed therapy for parents navigating burnout, identity, and the stress of caregiving.
You Deserve Support Too
Back-to-school is a transition for the whole family—not just kids. As a parent, you deserve support, space, and care as you guide your children through change.
Book a consultation today with a Stillpoint therapist to find support that helps both you and your family thrive this school year.