West Newsmagazine 8-4-21

FACEBOOK.COM/WESTNEWSMAGAZINE
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
A counselor’s tips for coping
with back-to-school anxiety
By CARRIE SANDLER
As kids return to school, separation anxiety
can make it hard for kids to let go of
their home life.
Children as young as 7 months old can
experience this anxiety either when physically
separated from a loved one or even
when the threat of separation exists. As a
result, the child’s behavior and coping skills
can be heavily affected. Thus, the importance
of teaching a child coping strategies.
“For both sides, following a routine is
everything,” Rockwood School District
counselor Katie Johnson, who works with
students at Fairway Elementary, said. “For
example, if a child is going to ride the bus to
school, on the first day (the child) should ride
the bus instead of being driven by a parent.”
(Source: Adobe Stock)
According to Johnson, Rockwood, like
other public and private schools, has policies
in place, including Welcome Groups, to
help students transition back to school in a
way that they feel welcomed and supported.
“We have new kids every year from each
grade level, so I help them transition into
school by helping them make friends, so
they’re feeling comfortable and adjusted
away from their homes,” Johnson said. “We
want to support our kids because they are
going through something big, so we want to
support those feelings and the transition.”
Johnson said parents also can experience
separation anxiety.
“If parents come into school the first day,
I’ll be in the classroom and tell them that
their child is in good hands and that they
don’t have anything to worry about,” Johnson
said. “It’s common that I’ll then call
the parents just to reaffirm that their child
is happy and engaged in learning, after
checking on them in the classroom, which
then allows the parents to be at ease too.”
A lot of strategies can be implemented
by the parent when it comes to establishing
a routine that allows their child to be
comfortable without them.
“Some of the things we encourage parents
to do is to tell social stories, which
is basically a step-by-step of what your
day is going to be like, so there’s no surprises
when kids come to school and they
know they will see mom and dad at the
end of the day. Another strategy we (suggest)
is inspired by the book “The Kissing
Hand,” which is to draw a little heart
on their hands so kids can kiss the heart
if they miss their parents and know that
their parents are thinking of them too. It
just creates a connection between the parents
and their children when they are at
school,” Johnson said.
The final factor that comes into play
when sending a little one to school is empathy.
According to Johnson, empathy plays
a huge part in dealing with separation anxiety,
so it’s important for parents to model it
to ease the child’s nerves.
“As parents, it’s so important to show
empathy because if your child is upset and
nervous, then you want to empathize with
them and say, ‘I hear what you’re saying,
I’m here to support you, and we will get
through this together,”’ Johnson said.
Carol Bowman
ACADEMY OF DANCE
2021-2022 DANCE SEASON
Ballet • Pointe • Modern • Lyrical Jazz
Tap • Hip Hop • Tumbling
CLASSES BEGIN:
Ballet Classes Begin August 11th
All Other Classes Start September 7th
Preschool through Advanced / Limited Class Size
636-537-3203
#16 Clarkson Wilson Centre • Chesterfield
www.carolbdance.com
August 4, 2021
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
I BACK TO SCHOOL I 23