This Mama aIn’t celebratIng after drop off! By Liv Wilson
It’s done! The Summer holidays are over and the new school year is here. If you’ve been dreading this day, you’re not alone. For many parents across Australia, with an anxious child, the first day of a new school year is much dreaded and not a day to skip out of the gates cheering with our friends as we head for a well deserved glass of bubbles!! And let’s face it, this year comes with added worry for some children after COVID lockdowns, and extended periods of remote learning, added to the awkwardness of trying to reconnect with friends they haven’t seen for a while. I’m a mother of a child who suffered terribly with separation anxiety and I’ve spent many ‘1st days’ praying with every part of my being, that this day, this year, this drop off would be the one where everything clicks and saying goodbye at the gate would be a breeze.
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The mornings drag! It’s no surprise that ‘separation anxiety’ can wreak havoc on your mornings. The sore tummy, the tears, the refusal to eat brekkie, the getting dressed in slow motion! The packing and unpacking of the school bag, the fussing over the lunchbox, the constant questions and the unrelenting need for reassurance. To get out of the door takes a huge amount of strength from the whole family and resisting the urge to slam on the brakes and take everyone home is a challenge like no other. If you’re a Mama to a child with separation anxiety, there are lots of tried and tested (by me) ways you can help make the mornings run a little smoother, ensuring stress is limited and you’re not all frazzled by the time you reach the gates.
