Transitions, especially for the young kids who are going back to school, are anxious. Kids have a lot of reasons to be upset or feel somewhat uneasy going back to school or going to school for the first time and a good technique for parents is going to introduce the school. So, if you can get into the school, show them around. Also, it’s important for parents when they are doing this, kids are very empathic. They pick up on our own emotions about school and if you can check yourself a little bit and make sure you’re not exuding fear and anxiety about the school or expectations, that’s very helpful. The last thing I think is very important is that a lot of parents will trip up on is to acknowledge the kids’ anxiety, not belittle it. That is, instead of saying, “Oh, there is nothing to be afraid of,” try and simply say, “Hey, I can see that you’re upset. I know that this is something that you’re afraid of or maybe you don’t want to do, but we all have to do things we don’t want to do.” You can use going to work, for example, or if you have to work on a holiday or something or just try to explain to them, that this is part of life and you will feel better eventually. You can tell also tell them stories about your first few days of school. Believe it or not, I remember the first time my mom dropped me off and she walked away.
