Back‑to‑School Calm
Mental‑Health Strategies for Families
By Joanne Jonna
As the first day of school nears, many Chaldean families across Metro Detroit feel the familiar buzz of preparation—shopping for supplies, organizing schedules, and getting uniforms ready. But beneath the surface, both parents and children often experience waves of worry, nervousness, fear, or dread.
As a therapist and mother, I want you to know you are not alone. I understand how challenging this time can be, and a few simple routines and mental-health strategies can make the transition easier for the whole family.
Build Structure Early
Start introducing routines one to two weeks before school starts. Having your child go to bed and wake up at the same time helps them feel grounded and in control. After a relaxed summer schedule, it may take some patience and planning to get them back on track.
Choose a realistic bedtime and wake-up time for the school year, then shift your child’s schedule gradually by 15 to 30 minutes every few days. A predictable morning routine—such as brushing teeth, saying a quick prayer, and eating breakfast together—can help set a calm tone for the day. Visual schedules are especially helpful for younger children. Simple picture cues like “brush teeth,” “put on shoes,” and “grab backpack” can reduce morning stress.
A Calmer Way Forward
One of my favorite types of therapy is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). It helps people manage strong emotions like anxiety through mindfulness and distress tolerance skills. These tools support staying present instead of becoming overwhelmed by future worries.
One of DBT’s core skills is “One-Mindfully”—the practice of doing just one thing at a time with full attention. It may sound simple, but it can have a big impact:
When you are eating, eat.
When you are walking, walk.
When you are worrying, worry.
When you are planning, plan.
You can practice One-Mindfulness while washing dishes, making tea, brushing your hair, or dancing to your favorite song. Start with a deep breath, slowly for six seconds and exhale gently for four.
Another favorite tool for managing anxiety is the Five Senses Grounding Exercise. It’s great for all ages and helps calm the nervous system by bringing awareness back to your body and surroundings. This technique is especially helpful when you’re caught in worry or dwelling on the past. Use it almost anywhere—on a walk, in the car, or at the dinner table.
Five Senses Grounding: A Simple Way to Focus the Mind
• 5 things you can see—look around and name five things.
• 4 things you can touch—notice textures: your clothes, the chair, the floor.
• 3 things you can hear—listen for soft, background sounds.
• 2 things you can smell—inhale gently. What scents do you notice?
• 1 thing you can taste—take a sip of water or simply notice the taste in your mouth.
This technique calms the nervous system by shifting focus back to what’s real and present.
Mindful Eating with Chaldean Flavor
Mindful eating can be done with any meal—alone or as a family—to reduce anxiety. It helps everyone slow down, connect, and be present. While eating your favorite stew like Kari or Buriyani, start by smelling the aroma in the air. Maybe it’s turmeric, garlic, or slow-cooked rice.
Pay attention to the colors and textures of your food, like the tender meat and vegetables. Take your first bite and chew slowly rather than rushing through the meal. Even just a few mindful moments at dinner can create calm, gratitude, and connection—to your body, your family, and your culture.
Try incorporating the five senses into mealtime: imagine yourself smelling a pot of your favorite Chaldean stew simmering on the stove—breathe in deeply through your nose, savoring the spices. Then blow out slowly through your mouth, like you’re cooling down the hot stew before taking a big, delicious bite. This playful exercise can help kids relax and feel connected to their roots.
Coping Tools by Age
For young children, try playful deep-breathing exercises:
Bubble breaths: inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth like blowing a bubble.
Breathe Like a Bear: sniff in through the nose, hold, then exhale slowly like a bear.
For Older Children and Teens:
Practice mindful walking—slowing down, feeling their feet on the ground, noting sounds and sights.
Try “opposite action”—if they feel like isolating, encourage them to take a walk or engage with others.
Encourage journaling or making lists of what they’re looking forward to and what worries them—this normalizes and expresses emotions.
Conversations that Connect
Create intentional, relaxed moments for open conversation—a soft start-up. Wait until your child is calm, not distracted, hungry, tired or stressed. Try asking:
“What are you most excited about this school year?”
“Is there anything you’re nervous about?”
“What’s one way I can support you as school starts?”
Ask in a supportive tone, listen closely, make eye contact, put away distractions and validate them by paraphrasing or repeating what you heard. This makes them feel seen.
Self-Compassion and Care for Parents
Parents, don’t forget to take care of yourselves. Back-to-school season can stir up big emotions for you too, especially if you’re watching your child take the first big step into a new transition. It’s normal to feel stretched thin, anxious, overwhelmed or a little sad.
Separation anxiety (for younger children): A comfort object in their backpack or a consistent goodbye ritual—hug, kiss and wave—can be powerful.
Pressure (for teens): Remind them (and yourself) that grades, GPA and test scores don’t define self-worth.
A Final Word
In our Chaldean culture, education is often seen as the path to a better future—and rightly so. But mental wellness is just as essential. By building routines, offering tools, and opening the door to connection, we help our children walk into the school year not just prepared—but empowered.
Wishing you and your family a grounded, joyful start to the school year.
Joanne Jonna, MA, is a Licensed Professional Counselor and founder of Wildflower Mental Health Therapy, LLC, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.