Coaches’ couch: Back to school (but make it stress-free!)
From Parents We've Met by rova | Parenting Place New Zealand
January 26, 2026 · 17 min · Season 3 · Episode 8
About this episode
The episode discusses strategies for a stress-free transition back to school, addressing anxiety and emotional challenges faced by children and teens.
We're back for 2026 and leaning straight into the good stuff! Dayna and Jenny are joined by Parent Coach Sheridan Eketone for a timely chat on the (often) tricky transition from summer holidays to the start of the school year. We tackle back-to-school anxiety, big feelings, friendships, after-school meltdowns and the bevy of emotions around school and pre-school. Sheridan shares handy tips for parents on making school transitions easier, including rehearsals, ‘bridges to separation’ and ‘leaving and receiving’ rituals, along with ideas for some simple things you can do daily to support confidence and independence. For our TEENS, we talk re-establishing healthy school-week routines, especially when it comes to sleep and phones, and structuring daily and weekly schedules to reduce worry and anxiety. Check out some of the resources mentioned in this episode: Untangling Anxiety: Supporting kids through worry and fear – an online self-guided course for parents and caregivers: https://hub.parentingplace.nz/courses/untangling-anxiety The Red Plate: https://parentingplace.nz/shop/red-plate-ceramic The power of rehearsals…
People in this episode
Hosts: Dayna, Jenny
Guest: Sheridan Eketone
Topics covered
- back to school
- parenting tips
- school anxiety
- teen routines
- emotional support
Keywords
- back to school
- parenting
- anxiety
- teen routines
- emotional support
- school transition
- confidence
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Parenting Place
Products: Untangling Anxiety, The Red Plate, the power of rehearsals
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