Podcast episodes to make back-to-school season less stressful : NPR

Back-to-school season can be a hectic time for parents. You’re settling your kids into a new routine, preparing them mentally for the new school year and adding homework help and lunch prep to your own schedule.

To make the transition from summer break to school less stressful, Life Kit has tips to help parents navigate the next few weeks.

Calm your kids’ back-to-school jitters 

Talk to your Gen Z kids about their anxiety as the new school year begins. Today’s teens struggle with big feelings — and their parents struggle to have hard conversations with them, according to a Gallup poll. Teen psychologist Lisa Damour explains how parents can help their kids cope with feelings of pressure and stress.

Deepen your understanding of your child’s anxiety. When a child is scared of the dark or being left alone, it can be hard for adults to know the difference between an age-appropriate fear and full-blown anxiety. This episode is full of tools to help parents better understand and manage their child’s “worry brain.”

Turn your child’s anxiety into a superpower. Kids have anxiety, but it’s not always a bad thing. Mental health experts Renee Jain and Shefali Tsabary have some ideas about how to help children use those feelings to their advantage.

Manage parental stress at home

Split the household chores (and the mental load) fairly with your partner. Relationship experts Eve Rodsky and Jacqueline Misla explain in four steps how to share domestic work with your partner.

Know the signs of parental burnout. Parenting can keep you on your toes all day. But if you find it so physically and mentally draining that you can’t enjoy family time, it may be a sign of burnout. Here’s what you can do about it.

Make tough family decisions with a business-inspired framework. Raising elementary-aged kids can mean a maze of tough decisions about how to run your family and what’s right for your children. Economist Emily Oster offers ways to streamline decision-making with strategies — and data — that work in the business world.

Improve your to-do list with 7 tiny hacks. Is your to-do list helping you reach your goals? Or is it holding you back? Productivity experts explain how to level up your list so it prioritizes what matters.

Connect with your kids before and after school

Amr Bo Shanab/Getty Images

Transform your kid’s behavior with a daily 5-minute playtime ritual. Called “special time,” the strategy is widely recommended by children’s health professionals to reduce behavioral issues in young children.

Create a stronger bond with your kids. It may sound counterintuitive, but if you want to take charge as a parent, stop trying to control your child, says psychologist and author Shefali Tsabary. Her book, The Parenting Map, lays out a step-by-step guide for creating conscious parent-child relationships.

Navigate hard conversations with grace 

Talk to your kids about vaping. They may seem young, but it’s not too early. Age-appropriate prompts and questions can help start a productive conversation about vaping nicotine and e-cigarettes with your child.

Know what to say when your kid wants to quit something. You signed your kid up for the soccer team (or swimming lessons, or piano or art), paid the fee and now they’re begging to quit! In these moments, it’s difficult to know what decision will help your kid grow in the long run. Do you ask them to tough it out and develop perseverance? Or trust their emotions? 

Pack healthy lunches your kid will actually eat

Jazz up your kid’s lunch with 6 easy (and adorable) recipes. Sulhee Jessica Woo, author of the cookbook Let’s Make Some Lunch, shares healthy and creative meals that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.

Get your kids to eat more veggies. Veggies help kids grow and develop, but it can be hard to convince them to eat their broccoli. These research-backed tips can help you encourage your kids to eat more veggies — or at least try them.

This story was edited by Beck Harlan. The visual editor is Beck Harlan. We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at LifeKit@npr.org.

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