Coping With Spring Fever in School Children
Helping Parents and Students Survive Springtime Blues
As dreamy eyes look outside the schoolroom window, teachers and students alike wonder if it will ever end. Bickering between students is on a roll. There are ways to deal with spring fever in students. Start by understanding the reasons for this behavior, realize it can be even worse after spring break, plan to cope rather than cure it, and stay with the plan.
Understanding Reasons for Spring Fever Behavior Changes
As flowers blossom and the cool breeze hits a child's skin, restlessness begins to wrench its way towards consciousness. Young minds may be distracted by by the seasonal changes.
Fear of change is foremost in their minds as they wonder if they'll be able to survive the milestone of the next grade, anxiety about summer, and fearing how it may be next year in school. These issues present enough to make any mind drift.
Separation anxiety is a factor as students anticipate the loss of daily playmates, familiar routines, and teachers with whom they've reached an understanding. A common reaction to this is anger because then it isn't necessary to be sad, and the painful embarrassment of grief can be avoided.
Seeing Worse Behavior after Spring Break
Parents are often shocked that avoidance of work and oppositional behaviors can rise after spring break week. Keep in mind the magnetic draw of springtime has pulled the multitudes for generations.
Even though the break has its value, there is also a grief at its ending. So don't be surprised if the students have a hard time getting their motors started again.
Plan to Cope with Spring Fever
By now it can be seen that there's no cure for spring fever. So, plan to cope.
Accept the feelings (not necessarily the behaviors) that come with it. Don't waste time challenging the anger; instead encourage the child to move on.
Provide more rewards, more often. Emphasize earning rewards by staying afloat academically.
Provide structure. Don't steer into the problem; spring fever isn't an icy road. Channel the energy by putting a soft comfortable harness on the restlessness. Letting it go makes it harder to remedy in the end. So stay on a schedule which should start gently a bit before school starts again.
Help the student transition from spring break. One way to guide a student to accept the necessity of working in springtime is to help in finding a sense of closure at the end of spring break. This can include psyching up for the coming school tasks, setting up reward systems, and promising to make summer plans after the child is back in the routine of school and homework.
Stay with the Plan after Spring Break
Celebrate accomplishments more often and make privileges easier to earn. Yet, don't make the reward staying up late or anything which would work against the child in school.
Purposely avoid crises. Don't overreact. Keep your responses in line with the offense when correcting. Adults may need to count to ten (by fractions if needed) to carry this off graciously.
Stay consistent with your plan. Don't change the rules when a child's world is already in a whirl of change.
Parents and other adults need to take care of themselves. This will generate more energy to bring to the child even on bad days.
Give kids a chance,
Care in advance,
Enjoy the picnic,
But don't get stung by the ants!
So this year when spring fever shows up, cope by understanding the reasons, expect behavior to be a bit worse after spring break, make a plan, and stay with it while you nurture yourself.
Barefoot with Spring Fever
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