Post Covid, there have been a few families finding separating from their children before school challenging. There can be many reasons for this and seeing your child unsettled and anxious can be stressful and upsetting for parents, but we need to be mindful that anxiety loves anxiety so if you are worried about the school routine it is likely that your child will be too.
There are lots of strategies you can do at home to make Separation Issues at School easier for you.
The night before:
- Talk about how the morning will look and what will happen when your child arrives at
school. Kiss and Drop is a great place to utilise if you are having separation issues with your child - Make sure you are organised the night before with school uniform laid out, lunches organised and shoes and school bag ready by the door. This will help you avoid any stress in the morning and you can spend some quality time with your child before school talking about all the exciting things they’ll be doing in their class that day
- If you prefer to walk your child into school, talk about what is going to happen when you arrive at school, how long you are going to stay and how you expect them to go into their classroom calmly. Remember less is more here – too much talk can overwhelm a child so keep it simple
- Talk about your morning routine-wake up, hugs and kisses, get dressed, have breakfast, brush teeth. Devices are not recommended before school.
At school:
- Remind your child what you talked about in the morning and that you’ll be leaving
soon but will be back as soon as school is finished - Give your child a quick hug and say goodbye. It is best to leave without going back
for ‘just one more’ hug as this can make things worse - It is best NOT to turn back even if your child cries. School is a safe place, and children settle very quickly once the school day begins and their parents are out of sight
- Be happy at the end of the day to see your child – tell them how proud you are that they enjoyed their day at school
- Remember to always be positive when talking about school. School is a safe, fun place
- If separating with your child becomes an issue or lasts for longer than a short period of time, make sure you speak to your child’s teacher. Your child’s teacher will be able to ensure that there are no friendship issues or anything else that may be affecting your child’s enjoyment of school
- Most importantly be consistent and stay calm.
For more information please visit RaisingChildren.net.au
If you are facing challenges, feeling stressed, struggling with Separation Issues at School or just need to
talk to someone please reach out to The Community Cottage.