The start of a new school year or the transition from primary to high school can be daunting and cause anxious thoughts and feelings among children.
Dr Jenny Rose, Clinical Psychologist and Parent-Child Specialist, shares practical methods, which she explains are helpful to prepare them for the start of the school year.
On Wednesday 19 January the new academic year kicked off. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) says over 1,1 million learners returned to school and attended school for the first time.
Learners will still attend school on a rotational basis as per Covid-19 regulations.
Debbie Schäfer, Western Cape Education Minister, says she will continue to engage with the national government regarding a return to daily attendance for all learners.
Rose says parents can help children deal with anxiety by preparing for what lies ahead.
“Prepare kids for what the entire process and concept of going to school is going to look like. Do role-play activities at home around what drop-off is going to look like. Tell your kids what the teacher’s name is, what the playground will look like, and so on.”
She explains the more details parents share with their children the less anxious they will be. The doctor explains when children are prepared they will feel more confident.
She explains parents should not prolong the school drop-off process in the morning.
“Make sure separation, the moment when you drop them, is quick. When we get to school kids start to feel anxious and cling to us, then we start to drag our feet to say goodbye. What then happens for children is that they think we are also being apprehensive. That makes them think there is a reason to feel anxious.”
She explains when parents are confident the children will be more relaxed.
“The more confident we are and the quicker we are in that drop-off, the easier it is for our child to be confident. That doesn’t mean you can’t still be nurturing and loving, but we want to do it swiftly.”
Rose also shares tips on how to deal with separation issues.
“Talk about connection. Parents often say things such as ‘I will fetch you later’. But for kids that is quite an abstract phenomenon. So, say things that make it more tangible and a way for them to visualise what that is going to look like. Say things such as ‘When I fetch you later we are going to read books’, or ‘We will eat biscuits in the car.’ Use a connection point that they can relate to.”
Rose explains that children who are still not placed at school also experience anxiety and fear.
According to Schäfer, the department received over 32 000 late applications. By Monday 17 January figures showed that “we have 451 Grades 1 and 2 450 Grade 8 learners that have still to be placed. The districts are working hard to ensure their placement as soon as possible.”
Rose says parents can help their children by assuring them that they are there to support them.
“Tell your child things such as ‘I understand that is really stressful and I am doing everything I can to try and make it happen and to work it out.’ Or say, ‘I can’t promise that we will find a solution, but we are in this together.’ Assure them that no matter what they are feeling there is a parent right there feeling it with them.”
Schäfer appeals to parents who have not enrolled their children at a school yet to urgently visit the WCED district offices in the area in which they reside so that they can be added to the placement list.
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