First-day-of-school tips to avoid seperation anxiety

January means back to school and in many cases for the first time.

A problem most parents of first graders face is separation anxiety, but there are ways to make the first day of school tantrum- and tear-free.

Here are some handy tips:

• Practise separation beforehand. Plan a few trips where your child stays behind with grandparents or other family members for a day.

• Know your child. If your child is clingy, have a few positive conversations beforehand as to what is going to happen on the day. On the other hand, if your child is not, let sleeping dogs lie and do not create unnecessary stress.

• Role-play. To let your child know what to expect, have him/her pretend to be the parent while you act as the child. Go through all the motions of the first day of school: waking you up, getting you dressed, feeding you breakfast, dropping you off and finally, picking you up.

• Create a calendar or chart that counts down the days until school starts. It’ll prompt you to organise the household and will help your child visualise the time frame.

• Find some other children who will be in your child’s class and organise a play date. It will help if children see some friendly, familiar faces.

• Go shop for school supplies together, it will give your child a sense of being part of the process.

• Get the bedtime schedule on track beforehand.

• Read some books with your child. Fantasy is often a good way for children to alleviate their fears.

• Find out if you can visit the child’s classroom beforehand. Once again this will make him/ her feel more at home on the first day.

• Do not be late. This will only create unnecessary stress for you and your child.

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