Easing Back To School Jitters

For students of any age, going back to school can be a scary thing -- for parents, it can be even scarier.

Lasca Weiss has two children and felt uneasy sending her kids off to school.

"You struggle with not wanting to go back to work, you still have a little bit of depression, you wonder what's happening to your child all day and you have guilt," Weiss said.

But even with kids going to school earlier and earlier -- experts say the transition can be simple.

Dr. Pratiksha Rigley, owner of the Primrose School of Prestonwood, has studied the back to school cycle -- and says routine is key.

"They wake up about the same time, they come to school about the same time, and it just makes the child feel very secure, when they walk into the exact same schedule for the day," Dr. Rigley said.

Dr. Rigley says tell your child you're going to leave, with a promise to come back. That way they know what to expect. 

Talking with your new student before school about what they can expect when they get in the classroom will help ease their fears. After a little while, the anxiety melts away.

"Usually, once they get older, they're excited about coming to school," Dr. Rigley said. "They'll tell you, 'we're ready to go to school', drop us off, they walk through the door and they're rushing to get to the classroom even before the parents."

For Weiss, telling herself that the kids were okay helped ease her fears.

"That goodbye time got really short, because when that goodbye time got really long, you didn't want to leave because they were crying, and you think they're going to be crying even though they don't do that," Weiss said.

Some simple ways to keep back to school---worry free.

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