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Kindergarten separation anxiety

sevans1975sevans1975 member
in School-Aged Children
Good morning ladies, I have been away from the bump for some time, but I need advice.  My DD just started Kindergarten.  Today is day 7.  She catches the bus at the daycare she has been going to for almost 3 years now.  She is having a nervous tummy every day from anxiety and has cried the last two days when I drop her off at daycare.
She wants me to wait with her to get on the bus.  I did it the 1st two days of school, but explained that I can't because it makes me late for work.
I'm being very positive and not letting DD see that her tears are making me sad.  I just tell her it is OK to miss mommy & daddy (that is what she says the problem is) and that she will be OK.  I've put pictures of us in her backpack if she needs to look at them and also she is wearing my necklace for the past 2 days that I kiss for her.  I told her that she can have it to help her think of us if she needs to.

She loves school and her teacher.  Her teacher reports that she comes into the classroom in the morning happy and smiling.  She gets back to daycare in the afternoons happy.  It is all just the morning stuff.  It is killing me because I want to swoop in and "fix" things, but I know I can't.

Any advice?  Just keep doing what I'm doing and hope things smooth out?  How long does this anxiety typically last?  :(



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Re: Kindergarten separation anxiety

  • neverblushedneverblushed member
    Ugh -- hang in there, Mama!  What she's going through is really normal.  

    The fact that she is happy at school and fine in the afternoon is a great sign!  She may continue to be sad in the mornings for a little while, so just fasten your seatbelt.  One thing you might do as time passes and she's more familiar with her classroom and the school routine is to help her think of something she's looking forward to at school (a book, an activity, a friend) so that she's more focused on positive things than on missing you.

    Because my DD's bus time is so early, I don't even see my DS until the end of the school day.  It's hard, even though he's a big, bad ten year old.  He still says he misses me and that he feels sad in the mornings sometimes.
    High School English teacher and mom of 2 kids:

    DD, born 9/06/00 -- 12th grade
    DS, born 8/25/04 -- 7th grade
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  • sevans1975sevans1975 member
    Thank you so much for your reply!

    I think this morning was probably the worst one yet, but I know it will pass.  She definitely loves school.  She told me last night that she hates leaving places and hates leaving school because it is so fun.

    This morning there was gagging from making her tummy upset with anxiety and apparently cried until it was time to get on the bus per my daycare lady.

    It sucks.  She colored a picture for her teacher last night and was excited last night to bring it to her and she was still sort of "happy" to bring it this morning, but kept saying she didn't feel good and quietly crying.  I keep positive and try to just let her know it is OK and that she'll be fine.

    Honestly, it makes my stomach all in knots myself because I know I can't just magically make it better.  I just don't let on to her that it makes me worry. 
    :-<
    Charting sevans1975

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