School is starting and young elementary kids all over the world will be losing it.

There will be meltdowns before school and tears when you walk away. At the end of their day when your child is returned to you, their little bodies will be wrung out like used pool towels. They have been working non-stop to keep it together all day while being faced with all the strange customs, smells, sensations, novel instructions, and social fears.

They will be exposed wires, buzzing from lack of quiet or personal space.

By the time it’s evening, their system cannot take anymore, and they begin to crumble.

You can be prepared!

Check out this list of ideas to try out when school starts:

Prepare for separation anxiety by singing the tune,“Grown-ups come back. They always come back!” absentmindedly as you move around the house.
If school hasn’t started yet, take your child to visit the school and do some practice runs. Ask them to show you where they will go.
If they have already started school, do some fun practicing on weekends by doing things like packing your lunches together in the morning and eating together in the amount of time they would have at school.
Put up a Feelings/Emoji Wheel on the refrigerator and let them hear you pick out what you're feeling and what your sensations are.
Don’t ghost your child when you leave. Part of helping your child learn to trust you (and the world) is to leave them safely and then to return. Having a loving teacher or childcare provider to comfort them while they are sad or missing you is key.
Remind your child that they can miss their mommy AND have fun at school. Both are true.
After school, plan to play for 10 minutes on the playground with your child to ease the transition home.
Bring ice water and a snack to pick up so at least the "hangry" element is covered.
Don’t ask the question: “How was your day?”. Instead, tell them, “It's good to see you, I missed you.” and then be quiet. Wait for them to be ready to talk rather than asking a bunch of questions. Try playing classical music on the radio to create a calming environment.
Don’t take big emotions personally. These little people are going to be exhausted and likely melting down. Expect dysregulation and tantrums as a normal reaction to keeping up with behavioral expectations all day long.
Make NO after-school plans for the first few weeks. They need to be home experiencing free unstructured time with you close by.