My child is starting school next year and is already nervous. How can I ease their anxiety?
Starting school is a significant milestone, and it’s natural for your child to feel nervous about this transition. To help ease their anxiety, there are several strategies you can use to build their confidence and prepare them for the change.
First, focus on developing your child’s social-emotional skills. Encourage play with peers to strengthen important social abilities like sharing, taking turns, and resolving conflicts. The holidays are a great opportunity for playdates and group activities to help your child practise these skills in a relaxed environment.
Emotional regulation is another key area. Teach your child how to express their emotions and manage frustration through simple techniques like deep breathing or calming exercises. Helping them develop emotional coping skills now will prepare them for the challenges of a school day.
Independence is also important. Ensure your child can handle basic self-care tasks like dressing, going to the toilet, and of course – washing their hands. Encourage them to express their needs clearly, as this will boost their confidence in asking for help when needed.
While social and emotional readiness is crucial, some basic academic familiarity with numbers, letters, and shapes can also help reduce anxiety. Keep these activities light and fun, using everyday opportunities like counting or reading together to make learning enjoyable.
Finally, familiarise your child with the school environment. Visit the school, attend orientation days, and talk positively about what to expect. Building familiarity can greatly reduce their fear of the unknown.
About the author
Amanda Abel is a paediatric psychologist, mum, and founder of Northern Centre for Child Development (NCCD) and Hawthorn Centre for Child Development (HCCD) – multidisciplinary paediatric practices in Melbourne. Working directly and indirectly with hundreds of clients each year, Amanda’s mission is for every child to achieve their best outcomes by equipping families and educators with the tools they need to help kids thrive.
Amanda draws on her own experiences of being a parent along with her extensive training and well-honed skill set to get families thriving. Having worked with families for almost two decades, as a psychologist for the past 11 years in a variety of settings, and a valued board member of the Autism Behavioural Intervention Association, Amanda loves building the confidence of the adults in the lives of children so that they can connect meaningfully, help them reach their full potential, and live a life that reflects their values.
Often appearing on Channel 7 and 9 News and regularly featuring in print media, Amanda is on a mission to make the world better for kids through her clinical work, consulting to some of the biggest global toy manufacturers and educating the digital media industry about making the internet safer for kids.
Photo by Tatiana Syrikova
