We all worry about how well our kids are going to do in school. Will they make friends? How will they get to school if I work early in the morning? What happens if they have separation anxiety? There are so many questions we ask ourselves but there are also so many ways to get over these fears and here are a few quick and easy tips. Find Like-minded Adults Starting new things is just a part of life and how we manage to get through them can affect our kids in a positive way or a negative way depending on how we handle it. Talking about your fears around your child may just scare them into thinking they need to worry as well, try to keep yourself composed even if you do feel stressed about them starting school. Talk about what they look forward to and how they feel rather than pass on your feelings to them. Try connecting with parents in the same situation and talk it through, see if they live close by and want to start doing play dates and get togethers outdoors following covid guidelines. These connections can come in handy when you need them later on. When you begin comparing schools you will be able to find groups of parents and kids that are going to schools near you and begin making friendships that are so important to a child’s school experience. Don’t Panic They Will Make Friends No matter how hard it seems during the pandemic your child will make friends at school. They all have to interact and play together even if it is under different restrictions due to covid. They are going to laugh, cry, and learn with lots of kids their age and soon enough we will be able to have sleepovers and get invited to parties! Plan Your Schedule Start discussing before and after school care or drop off and pickup times with people close to you. You may need to find a before and after school program to get your child to and from school while you are at work. You may need to discuss a later start time with your employer to ensure your child gets dropped off at the right time. These situations are a part of life so they are usually very understanding about scheduling for school. Prepare Your Child My youngest son had terrible separation anxiety when he started kindergarten. He cried and screamed and tried to follow me out the door to the point where the teacher had to hold him inside while I ran away. It took almost a month to get him adjusted but with persistence we got it done and he was fine. The reason he had such bad anxiety was because I worked from home and he never had the opportunity to be apart from me for extended periods of time. I suggest enrolling your toddler in programs if possible to give him or her some separation before school starts. If it is not a possibility and you were stuck at home like me just power through it no matter how hard it seems, kids are resilient and they will adjust. If your afraid of sending your child to school due to covid transmission just know that rate of transmission in schools is very low and they have lots of procedures in place to keep them safe. School is an amazing adventure for your little ones and you should embrace it while you can because when they are older it is no longer a fun adventure it’s a chore that you have to force on them creating fights and arguments that you will soon wish you never had to have.
