End-of-school-year stress for students and parents
Why the last weeks of school are so packed, signs a student is overwhelmed, and ways families can get through it.
Adaptive Behavioral Services · · Updated · 2 min read
The end of the school year should feel like a finish line, but for many students and parents it is the most packed stretch of the year. Finals, projects, sports playoffs, graduations, goodbyes and summer plans all land at once. It is normal to feel stretched thin.
What students may be dealing with
- Final exams and grades that feel high-stakes
- Saying goodbye to teachers, friends or a school they are leaving
- Worry about next year, a new school or college
- Busy schedules with sports, events and jobs
- Uncertainty about what summer will look like
- Less sleep and more screen time
Signs a student is overwhelmed
- Irritability, tears or shutting down
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping much more
- Headaches or stomach aches, especially on school mornings
- Avoiding schoolwork or certain classes
- Pulling away from friends or family
Parents feel it too
Parents are juggling ceremonies, camp sign-ups, childcare gaps and their own jobs while trying to support stressed kids. It is easy to run on empty. Taking care of yourself is part of taking care of your family.
Ways to get through it
- Put it on one calendar. Seeing every deadline and event in one place lowers the mental load.
- Protect sleep, especially before tests and big days.
- Break big projects into small steps with mini deadlines.
- Talk about the transitions. Ask what they will miss and what they are worried about.
- Say no to something. Not every party or activity has to happen.
- Plan some downtime for the first week of summer before jumping into the next thing.
When to get support
If stress turns into ongoing anxiety, low mood, school avoidance or conflict at home, or if a student is having a hard time with a big transition, therapy can help. Individual therapy is available for children and teens, with parents involved where it helps, and family therapy can ease tension at home.
Getting started
Adaptive Behavioral Services offers therapy by secure video across Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania, which makes it easier to keep going through summer schedules and travel. Request an appointment or call (412) 661-7790.
