Starting the School Year Strong: How Wonder Helps Your Child Work Through Back-to-School Jitters

That time of year is here! Kids are going back to school. School buses are rumbling, bells are ringing, and backpacks are swinging. For many children, back-to-school time is exciting and fun, and they look forward to it despite the early morning wake-up calls. 

Returning to or even going to school for the first time can be scary for others. A new school, a new teacher, or even if trusted friends have moved away, and now kids need to make new friends, can all be reasons a child might be worried about the start of the school year. 

Thankfully, parents and kids have a fantastic resource in their back pocket: Hello Wonder! Yes, it’s also an entertainment app, but it can also help kids get answers to those sticky questions they may have. Wonder is your child’s AI companion in all things, including emotionally, bringing joy and excitement to their back-to-school experience.

With parents’ guidance, Wonder can offer kids tips and tricks on navigating tough situations, helping them see things in a new light and think about them differently. Wonder can also help kids decompress after a long day and understand what they’ve experienced. Here are just a few of the many ways Hello Wonder can help.

New to school

In this first scenario, a child transitions to a new school and is nervous. 

Wonder empathizes with the child and affirms their feelings. It then gives the child a positive question: an opportunity to change their frame of mind. 

Even if the child gives a short answer, answers negatively, or doesn’t know what to say, Wonder is still there to help. It responds positively and asks open-ended questions to encourage the child and give them room to be themselves.

Alien for a teacher

In this scenario, a younger child is being convinced by older children that their teacher is an alien. 

Wonder responds with logic and provides a fantastic description of who teachers really are. The tone is playful and cheerful. It also ends with a question to help the child become excited about returning to school. 

Long Summer

In this example, the child is concerned that their teacher may not remember them from last year. 

Wonder is eager to help your child and normalize any uncomfortable feelings they may be having. Inviting the child to do an art or craft draws the child’s attention away from the negative emotions, and the child's imagination is engaged. 

Long Day

Many kids need downtime after coming home from school. They need a moment to relax and process all that happened on their busy day. For them, everything is significant, and they may need some help absorbing all that information. While parents are busy in the kitchen, kids can share their day with Wonder!

Wonder is attentive and asks pertinent questions. Based on the child’s conversations with Wonder, their suggested activities and icebreakers have also been repopulated. 

While parents may have their attention pulled in many directions, we know they want to be involved in their children’s online learning and be updated on what they’re doing. That’s why we created Daily Summaries. Parents can choose to receive a notification at various time intervals that sums up their child’s activities on Hello Wonder. These notifications can become helpful conversation prompts as well as being informative.  

Let Hello Wonder be your guide

As with many changes, returning to school can be a big transition for kids. Of course, parents will be there to guide children and help them handle their emotions. Hello Wonder is just one more tool that parents and kids can use. 

Wonder is positive, empathetic, and always wants to be helpful. It gives kids room to use their imagination and goes with them on a journey that Wonder and the child create together. Get your child started on their own journey with Hello Wonder. Visit our website or check us out in the app store. Give your child the gift of a supportive AI companion this school year.