How to help a child cope with their first day of kindergarten

The first day of school is a momentous occasion for children and while it can beincredibly positive and exciting, for many children it can also be anxiety-inducing, a former kindergarten teacher says.

Michael Zwiers, who now works as an assistant professor of educational psychology at the University of Calgary, said parents should not be surprised if their young children are worried about stepping through the front doors of their new school.

"Normal anxiety just comes from not knowing something that's unknown that they haven't done before," he said.

Parents should remember that forkindergarten kids, almost everything is new: the school, their classmates and teacher are all unknowns on day one.

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"Leaving home, going to a big new building, ostensibly meeting a lot of other children all at once, having another adult in charge, all of these things can create this heightened level of trepidation," Zwiers said.

The transition can be especially hard for children who have never been in daycare or preschool, he said, because even the set up of the classroom will seemstrange and foreign to them.

In the lead up to the first day of school, parents can help smooth the transition to kindergarten by involving their children in the preparation for their big day.

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He suggests talking to kids about what food they would like to eat in their lunch and also taking a tour of the school so at the very least the building looks familiar.

"Be on the school grounds, play on the playground, it's going to familiarize them with that space," he said. "That is going to smooth that transition."

If children begin to try and avoid school or throw tantrums in the morning, that could be a sign of more severe anxiety, according to Zwiers.

Build a relationship with the teacher

To help, parents can try digging into why their children are feeling worried about school so they can try and explain away theirconcerns.Parents can also provide some information to their child's teacher about what things they like so they knowhow to helpwhen their child is having difficult coping.

Zwiers said, for example, if a child likes a certain animal, a kindergarten teacher can pull that out to distract the childwith play when they are sad or worried.

If a child is nervous on the walk to school,Zwierssuggests linking up with other families so children can playon their way to school which will takethe focus offof their anxiety.

Lastly,Zwiers suggests parents take a look in the mirror anyanxiety they feel about handing their precious little ones over to another adult to care for can sometimes be passed on, inadvertently, to their children.

"I triedto work with the parents anxiety as well," he said. "The anxiety of one would feed into the other."

Building a trusting relationship with teachers will help both parents and children feel better aboutschool, he said.

The first day of school at the Winnipeg School Division is Sept. 6.

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