Nobody enjoys watching summer slip away. If you ask children, they will gladly share their opinion about returning to the classroom. Many dread it, but some truly fear the beginning of school. Read on to discover ways to relieve some common back to school anxieties.

Fear of the Unknown: One of the most common fears is "fear of the unknown." The school year begins with many unknowns such as a new building or classroom, a new teacher, new classmates, new routines, and perhaps even new drop off & pick up arrangements. Fight fear with knowledge! If possible, make a quick visit to the school before the first day to familiarize your child with his or her new surroundings. Try to make a brief visit to his classroom or maybe even say "hi" to her new teacher. Even if the building is closed, encourage your child to play on the playground for a few minutes. Take time to physically show children their bus stops, bus or walking routes. Do some detective work to find out what students are in your child's class. Children will be more comfortable, and less intimidated when they have a concrete mental picture of what to expect.

Separation Anxiety: This anxiety tops the list of common school fears especially among younger or first time students. Best advice..try to time your drop off so that there will be a quick separation. The longer children wait for the actual separation to occur, the worse it can become. Make your goodbye happy, upbeat and brief! If necessary, send in a transitional object to assist with the adjustment. This object may be a familiar, but small stuffed animal, a family photo, an inexpensive piece of Mom or Dad’s jewelry for the child to wear, or simply something from home to keep in their backpack. Another technique is to focus on a special after school activity that your child can look forward to, and you can enjoy together when the day ends.

General Anxiety: First day jitters happen to even the bravest among us! In order to ease those queasy feelings encourage children to enjoy a relaxing day beforehand. Let them choose to do something they enjoy such as bike riding or a favorite sport. The physical activity along with the fresh air will help children get a good night's rest, and will also help them cope with the adjustment of sitting indoors in a classroom the next day. Relieve jitters by enjoying a special treat together such as an ice cream sundae to celebrate the beginning of the new year. And remember….organize all of their supplies, clothing, lunch money, snacks, etc. the night before school to insure a calm, smooth start to their first day.

For additional information regarding school fears, please see:

Easing Back to School Jitters

10 Steps to A Successful First Day at Nursery, Preschool & Kindergarten

Children's Books About Going to School

See the Little Ones Back to School Special Feature at www.littleones.com for more valuable advice to get this year off to a great start!

  Visit www.littleones.com for our selection of  Great/Award Winning Children's Books, Little Ones Recommended Toys & Gifts,  Birthday Theme Parties  and Baby Basics, along with teacher tips, parenting articles, family fun and much more!

If you haven’t done so already, Subscribe Now to receive our weekly Little Ones articles via E-mail.

With a new school year just around the corner, it's time to start thinking getting your children organized. Developing the habits they'll need for success will actually lead to less stress.  Speaking of stress… let's start by tackling the "Morning & After School Rush Hours". Here are two simple strategies to help children manage their time and all of their "stuff" during these two peak times of day.

The Morning Rush:  Designate a highly visible and specific location (preferably by the door) where packed backpacks can be left at the end of the night, completely ready for the next morning. Children are more prone to forget things if they are packing up during the "early morning make it to the bus stop on time rush." Children who prepare their supplies the night before are less rushed, and also benefit from having all night to remember and add forgotten items into their backpacks. In addition, try to have children choose clothing the night before to alleviate any morning surprises.

The After School Rush: Put an end to the last minute search for missing things before extra-curricular activities. Recycle your child's old backpacks by using them to organize their after-school activity stuff. For example, have a separate backpack or bag for each of their activities…religion class, dance class, karate…you name it! Pack the bag with everything they need for their activity and leave it in a specific spot. Make sure that items are returned into the bag when they're done with their activity and….you're ready for next go around. During the week, place any necessary items such as homework, permission slips or clean clothing into the bag. When the activity rolls around again, just have your child grab their pre-packed backpack and go!!!

For additional kid-friendly tips, see the complete article Get Your Children Organized in 5 Simple Steps at www.littleones.com.

See the Little Ones Back to School Special Feature at www.littleones.com for more valuable advice to get this year off to a great start!

  Visit www.littleones.com for our selection of  Great/Award Winning Children's Books, Little Ones Recommended Toys & Gifts,  Birthday Theme Parties  and Baby Basics, along with teacher tips, parenting articles, family fun and much more!

If you haven’t done so already, Subscribe Now to receive our weekly Little Ones articles via E-mail.