Skip to main content

We’ve rounded up the best of our back-to-school stories to help parents and students – from elementary to post-secondary – ease into the transition

From summer recipes to how to sleep better, read more of The Globe’s guides to living well

Open this photo in gallery:

Getty Images/iStockphoto

How to handle children’s stress and anxiety

So many children (and their parents) are nervous about the first day of school. Whenever we aren’t sure what to expect, we can get a little anxious. The best way to help our child out of an anxious state is to acknowledge their feelings, normalize their anxiety and teach them tools to “reset” the alarm in their brains.

As for older students, here’s some advice to get ready for university from a professor of more than 25 years. For parents, our guide to preparing teens for campus stress advocates teaching them to tune out all the white noise and prioritize what matters.

Sleep plays a critical role in learning along with regulating moods and emotions. To tackle sleep deprivation, some researchers and educators say sleep needs to be an essential part of the school curriculum, akin to nutrition, physical activity and sex education.


Open this photo in gallery:

Getty Images/iStockphoto

What to do if your child is being bullied at school

Like wolves culling caribou, bullies single out the wounded, the stragglers, the loners who stray from the herd. Three specialists offer advice on how to inoculate your child against bullying.

As for the everyday social ups and downs that hurt your child’s feelings and might bring back painful memories, try not to let your own difficult childhood experiences get in the way. Focus instead on empowering and supporting your child.

In this First Person piece, Holly Jones writes she never realized how badly she was teased in school until the day one of her bullies reached out 35 years later. And in this essay, Ioanna Roumeliotis writes about her son, who is on the autism spectrum, and asks what if we made it cool to be kind?


A financial guide for students and parents

This collection of back-to-to school stories on personal finance covers everything from the elementary years (don’t feel pressured to buy everything before school starts, as deals are available year-round) to post-secondary education, when issues like a good credit score and insurance for children studying away from home come to the fore.


Open this photo in gallery:

What’s on the lunch-box menu?

Scrambling for lunch ideas? Emma Waverman offers her essential pantry list and last-minute tips, with help from dietitian Leslie Beck.

Beck writes that diet can help with managing the stress of heading back to class, as eating nutritious and well-balanced meals and snacks may help improve your mood.

While peanuts and tree nuts aren’t allowed in many classrooms, here’s a guide to nutrient-packed substitutes for nut butters.


Open this photo in gallery:

Machine Headz/iStockPhoto / Getty Images

Tips to keep kids active, healthy and safe

September is among the most dangerous months for pedestrians. Yes, kids can be careless and forget to look both ways, so itʼs up to us – as drivers – to watch out for their mistakes.

There are a handful of common infections that doctors count on seeing each fall. This advice from a pediatrician will prep you for what to watch out for and how to handle the inevitable illnesses kids come home with.

Ever looked around your school playground and wondered why it’s so boring? Landscape architects and play specialists are tackling the problem using both art and nature. Some playgrounds are being designed with new materials and thoughtful equipment to remove barriers for those with vision impairments, hearing deficiencies, social anxieties, autism and sensory development delays.


Open this photo in gallery:

Building relationships to motivate and inspire

The parent-teacher relationship can be littered with land mines. These tips from parents and educators will help you negotiate, communicate and solve conflicts with the other adult helping to rear your child.

In this First Person piece, Gillian Best writes about her experiences growing up as a smart aleck who hated school. When one teacher saw something promising in her, Best describes how it completely changed the trajectory of her life – for the better.

Rick Hansen, founder and CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation, writes that one of the great successes of the Canadian school system is building a sense of social responsibility and connection with youth, giving them the tools to serve their community, locally, nationally and globally.


Open this photo in gallery:

Seeing the grandkids off to school

Sandra Martin writes about watching her grandkids head off for their first day of school and how the experience reawakened her own need for a jolt of resilience.

In this First Person essay, Steve Watson wonders why it’s such a struggle to let go as his granddaughter starts junior kindergarten,

Follow related authors and topics

Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

Interact with The Globe

Trending