Relieving Back to School Anxiety

I can't believe it's that time of year again. Soon we will be seeing school buses at every corner! It's an exciting time of year for most of us. For others, well it can be quite nerve racking. What can you do as a parent to help ease the back to school transition?

• Involve your child in as much school shopping as possible. (Have them choose what backpack, lunch box or other school supplies they like. This will help get them excited about the new items they have to show to his/her peers).
• Get a back to school routine started. ( Wake up early/go to bed early, established dinnertime routine etc...)
• Talk to your child about his/her feelings about school beginning. Validate those feelings.
• Establish a playdate with one of your child's friends on the school playground.
• Call your child's teacher to arrange a pre-school meeting. (The meeting can be as simple as hi I'm so and so's mom/dad. I just wanted the opportunity to meet you and for my child to see the classroom ahead of time. If desks/cubbies etc are already set up maybe the teacher can show them to the student. This way the student will already know where these important locations are again to help ease some stress.