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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, S ep te m be r 5, 20 19 | 36 NOW OPEN Register for Daycare and Preschool - Fall 2019 REGISTER NOW! 905-337-7225 P r e s c h o o l & D a y c a r e No Registration Fees! 609 Ford Dr. Unit 3-4, Oakville, L6J 7Z6 w w w . a l p h a s d i s c o v e r y c l u b . c o m ART MUSIC DANCEDRAMA Art • Music • DrAMA • DAnce Performing and Visual Arts School REGISTER FOR SEPTEMBER 2019! 2019 - 2020 SCHEDULE STUDIO PAVAS WEEKLY CLASSES ART, MUSIC, DRAMA, DANCE & MORE! PRIVATE & GROUP LESSONS AGES 3 TO ADULT TO REGISTER: (905)-403-9435 / INFO@STUDIOPAVAS.COM 1-2301 ROYAL WINDSOR DRIVE, MISSISSAUGA WWW.STUDIOPAVAS.COM Fall Registration Simple ways to reduce back-to-school anxiety By Tanni Haas A lot of kids feel anxious at back- to-school time, after a long summer full of fun. They're often the most anxious when they're about to go to a new school, are going through a transition year from elementary to middle school or middle to high school, or when a best friend has moved away over the sum- mer break. What do you do to make your kids less anxious and more excited about the upcoming school year? Experts agree on the following: Talk to your kids about their anxieties If you suspect that your kids are expe- riencing back-to-school anxiety, talk them about it. Instead of sitting them down for a formal affair, talk about their anxieties as a natural part of your end-of-summer conversations. As Caroline Miller of the Child Mind Institute puts it: "Kids often say more when there's less pressure to 'have a talk.'" Ask open-ended questions that you know will get them to speak, listen care- fully to how they respond, and acknowledge their anxieties no matter how exaggerated they may seem. "When children know they can share their observations or challenges, and their parents will listen," says Dr. Lau- rie Hollman, a child psychotherapist, "they go to school with the parents' calm, steady voice in the back of their minds." Stay positive and project confidence in them When you talk to your kids, stay positive and let them know that you've confidence in them. As Dr. Kurt Smith, a counseling psychologist, puts it: "Your enthusiasm will be noticed and remembered." Focus your conversation on how well everything turned out in previous years, and assure them you're confident about this year, too. It can be helpful to recount your own back- to-school experiences with anxiety and how you overcame them. "Kids love to hear sto- ries from their parents' childhood," says Dr. Joan Munson, a clinical psychologist," because it helps normalize any difficult feelings they're experiencing." You can also help them normalize their feelings, Dr. Mun- son says, simply be reminding them "that all children have these fears and they're not alone." Engage them in role play It's helpful to role play the school-related situations that make your kids the most anxious. "The best way to gain mastery over worries," says Katie Hurley, a licensed social worker, "is to practice taking con- trol over worrisome situations." This can be anything from riding the school bus to participating in class discussions. "If you discover that your child's afraid of riding the school bus," says Munson, "set up an area in the house and do a 'pretend' ride to school." Similarly, "if they're afraid to ask the teacher questions, do role plays togeth- er on how to speak up in class." Don't be anxious yourself Try to control any anxieties that you may experience yourself. Anxiety is contagious, so if you're anxious, your kids can get anx-so if you're anxious, your kids can get anx-so if you're anxious, your kids can get anx ious, too. As Ms. Hurley puts it, "if you ap- pear overwhelmed and anxious on the first day of school, your child is likely to follow your lead." Instead, Dr. Julia Burch, a child psychologist, suggests that you "try to mod- el the calm behavior you'd like to see in your child." If you stay calm and focus on all the great things your kids are about to experi- ence, they'll end up getting more excited than anxious about the upcoming school year. Tanni Haas, Ph.D. is a Professor in the De- partment of Communication Arts, Sciences, and Disorders at the City University of New York - Brooklyn College.