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My 6-year old daughter has gotten quite comfortable being at home with me over the last year. Lately, she seems a bit clingy and when I mention going back to school, she often says that she'd rather just stay at home with me. How can I help her get prepared to return to school?
As many parents are expected to return to work in person this Fall and students are returning to school, this will be a big adjustment for many. Many children (and their caregivers) have become quite accustomed to the comforts of home and being able to spend more time with family. Getting adjusted to new routines, new schedules, and new expectations can be challenging for everyone. You may want to talk with your daughter to find out what she enjoys most about spending time at home with you and discuss how you can continue to incorporate those activities even after she returns to school. You can also ask your daughter if she has any worries about returning to school. Validate her concerns, answer questions she has as best you can, and talk through realistic ways to cope with those worries. You can also consider arranging a playdate with a few classmates to give her an opportunity to reconnect with her friends or plan a visit to the school before it opens to help her get reacclimated.
If it is possible for you to gradually increase your time at work prior to school starting, that may help prepare her for the change as well. It is also important to remember that children take their cues from adults around them. It can be helpful to monitor your thoughts and reactions when you discuss returning to school. While it is normal to worry a little about the adjustment back to school, try to focus on the positive aspects of returning to school and what your daughter can look forward to upon her return. It can also be helpful to create a visual schedule that shows what time your daughter will wake up, leave for school, and return home. You and your daughter can work together to fill in any morning or evening rituals, or fun family activities that she would like to do in the evening. You can talk with your daughter and set a realistic achievable goal for the first week of school and decide upon a mutually agreeable goal to celebrate her success. Getting started with a consistent schedule can be helpful as well so use the few weeks before school resumes to start going to bed, waking up, and having lunch the same time that she would when she is at school. Hopefully, some of these tips will make that transition back to school much easier!
