Living Well: Easing First Day of School Anxiety

Heading back to school can be exciting, but chances are students are feeling more than one emotion.

If a child is going to school for the first time, that can bring its own challenges.

In today’s Living Well, News 40’s Morgan Hoover has more with a licensed therapist on how to help first-time students succeed at school.

Licensed therapist Jody Baumstein with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Strong4life program says new and unfamiliar things can be scary.

For both a parent and their first-time student, he says you can help your child succeed by tackling unknowns. Baumstein says to also practice naming feelings since children often don’t have the words to describe their emotions.

Help them learn to ask for help, something they may not be experienced at doing with someone unfamiliar, like a new teacher. And teach coping skills to help with different emotions.