First grade separation anxiety

newmommy31

Hi all! Need advice!

Last year, my step daughter started kindergarten and loved it! This year, she's in first grade and started at a new school. Ever since the first day of school she says she doesn't want to go, she quite dance, and now complains of a stomach ache every day. To Make a long story short, we think she has separation anxiety from her mother. Anyone else deal with this? What do we do? We're trying to get a meeting set up with the school counselor. (We have a great relationship with bio mom and we're working together on this)

newmommy31

Now that I think about it some more and did more research, I think it's just anxiety in general, not necessarily separation anxiety. We split custody every other week, so that's why our initial thought was that. but it's anxiety towards being alone and being forgotten. She won't go to dance because she thinks no one will pick her up. we've never been late picking her up the last two years, so we're not sure where this is coming from. She panicked the other day when I left her at the cart to walk 10 feet to grab a loaf of bread at the grocery store. I was out of sight for maybe 5 seconds. I didn't understand what was going on - but definitely has anxiety over being alone. Anyone else go through something like that?

neverblushed

It's not unusual for kids who are 5 or 6 to go through a stage of separation anxiety in kindergarten or 1st.  Keep an eye on it in case it becomes more severe, but it's probably something that will run its course.  In the meantime, help her stay focused on something she likes in the classroom: a book, an activity, seeing the teacher, seeing a friend... something she can look forward to each day to help her stay positive.