>> THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IS JUST DAYS AWAY AND MANY KIDS AND PARENTS CAN START TO FEEL
A BIT ANXIOUS. WELL,
ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR VERY
LEAVING HOME FOR THE FIRST
TIME AWAY FROM MOM AND DAD ALL
DAY. THAT CAN CAUSE SOME
SEPARATION ANXIETY. WELL,
JOINING US NOW TO HELP YOUR
FAMILY PREPARE IS DOCTOR TRACY
ALLOWAY. GOOD MORNING AND
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH
US.
>> GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
>> DOES IT OUTWEIGH HOW DO WE
PREPARE OUR KIDS FOR LIFE
AFTER SUMMER BREAK.
>> AND THAT’S A GREAT I’VE
COME UP WITH AN AFTERNOON WITH
THE LETTERS I I MEANT THE
FIRST THING TO REMEMBER IS EYE
WHICH IS IDENTIFIED WHEN WE
FEEL ANXIOUS. WE KNOW THAT
BODY RELEASES ADRENALINE AND
YOU MAY NOTICE IS A PARENT
THAT YOUR CHILD IS MORE
FIDGETY MOVING A LITTLE BIT
MORE SO IDENTIFIED THESE EARLY
SIGNS. AND THE SECOND LETTER
IS IS GET THEM TO USE UP THEIR
ADRENALINE BY MOVING WHETHER
IT’S JUMPING JACKS IN THE SPOT
GETTING OUTSIDE. BUT INSTEAD
OF TELLING THEM TO STOP
FIDGETING, REALLY CAPITALIZED
AND HELPING THEM WITH THESE,
THAT ADRENALINE AND THE 3RD
MEMBER IS WHICH IS TO ACT AND
TO HELP THEM FEEL LIKE THERE
IN AGE AND ASK THEM WHAT THEY
WOULD LIKE TO HELP THEM FEEL
IN CONTROL OF THE SITUATION.
WE KNOW ANXIETY KICKS IN WHEN
WE FEEL A SENSE OF UNCERTAINTY
AND HAVING THAT SENSE OF
AGENCY THAT YOU CAN DO
SOMETHING IS REALLY CRUCIAL IN
BEING ABLE TO COMBAT THAT
SENSE OF ANXIETY CAN LIKE THAT
ALIVE. SO WHAT CAN PARENTS DO
TO KICK START THEIR KIDS FIRST
DAY OF SCHOOL? THE FIRST THING
IS TO JUST HELP THEM KNOW WHAT
TO EXPECT. SOMETIMES THAT
COULD BE GOING TO A SCHOOL IN
TAISHAN. IT COULD BE HELPED
THEM HAVING BEEN THROUGH. WHAT
IS YOUR SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE,
YOU KNOW THE FENCE THAT WILL
BE THERE. WHAT DO YOU THINK
YOUR TEACHER WILL BE LIKE SO
DOING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO
HELP THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE
THAT THERE’S SOME FAMILIARITY
IN WHAT THEY’RE WALKING INTO.
>> WE BUT OVER THE LAST COUPLE
OF YEARS, KIDS HAVE DEALT WITH
SO MANY CHANGES IN SCHOOL,
MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE
PANDEMIC. WHAT CAN PARENTS DO
TO KIND OF CALM THOSE NERVES
FOR KIDS WHO ARE STILL ANXIOUS
ABOUT THAT?
>> IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR
PARENTS TO BE ATTENTIVE TO THE
PHYSICAL CUES THAT THEIR CHILD
HAS DEMONSTRATED. THEY MAY NOT
FEEL EVEN HAVE THE SKILL SET
TO USE WOODS TO COMMUNICATE
HOW IN JUST A FIELD, BUT IT’S
A PAYMENT. YOU CAN START
IDENTIFYING. DOES YOUR CHILD
ENGAGE IN MAYBE MORE? SO
SOOTHING BEHAVIOR OF A
TOUCHING THE ARMS OR LOT OF
HAIR STROKING MORE THAN THEIR
USUAL. THESE THAT YOUR CHILD
MAY BE STRUGGLING WITH
ANXIETY. ANOTHER GOOD
STRATEGIES FOR THE IF YOU ARE
KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR CHILD’S
SOCIAL MEDIA IS RESEARCH SHOWS
THAT WHEN YOU CHILD BEGINS TO
POST PHOTOS THAT OUR NEXT CALL
A FULL AND INCLUDED S IMAGES
OF FACES. THAT IS ALSO AN
EARLY WARNING SIGN THAT
THEY’RE STARTING TO FEEL
ANXIOUS AND EVEN A SHOW SIGNS
DEPRESSION.
>> WOW. SO THERE ARE ALWAYS
LITTLE SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR
SO WHAT POINT SHOULD PARENTS
DECIDE, OK, YOU KNOW WHAT? I’M
GOING TO TAKE MY KID TO A
COUNSELOR.
>> SUCH A GREAT QUESTION. AND
IT’S A LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST.
I ALWAYS THE PARENT KNOWS THE
CHILD’S BEST. AND IF YOU’RE
NOTICING A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE
FROM THEIR USUAL BEHAVIOR IN
TYPICAL BEHAVIOR, IT’S REALLY
IMPORTANT TO SEEK HELP. AND
THERE’S LOTS OF RESOURCES
AVAILABLE. SO AS A PARENT,
IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE
ATTENTIVE, ESPECIALLY AT THE
START OF THE YEAR.
>>JENNIFER READY: AND WE KNOW
JUST LIKE KIDS. PARENTS ALSO
STRUGGLE WITH ANXIETY. IS
THERE A POINT WHERE PARENTS
SHOULD SAY, OK, HOLD ON, LET
ME GO, GET SOME HELP. WHAT DO
YOU RECOMMEND FOR THAT?
>> A QUESTION AS WELL. AND
HERE I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE
PARENT BE AWARE OF WHETHER YOU
PRE PURCHASE SAYING ANXIETY
FOR YOUR CHILD. AND BY THAT, I
MEAN THAT WHEN A PANIC VISIT
ANXIOUS, THEY WILL
UNINTENTIONALLY EVEN
SUBCONSCIOUSLY COMMUNICATE
THAT SENSE OF ANXIETY TO A
CHILD. SO IT’S IMPORTANT TO DO
IT EVEN HAS CELL CHECK
PERIODICALLY AND THINK AM I
SAYING STATEMENTS THAT MAY
CAUSE MY OWN CHILD ANXIETY I
THINK, OH, I’M SO WORRIED
ABOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. THOSE
KINDS OF FACES MAY BE
COMMUNICATING EVEN
SUBCONSCIOUSLY TO A CHILD THAT
SENSE OF ANXIETY. SO FIRST OF
ALL, DO A SELF-CHECK AND THINK
WHAT KIND OF LANGUAGE AND MY
USING AND MY COMMUNICATING
THAT SENSE OF ANXIETY TO THEM.
AND IF YOU ARE MAYBE TAKE A
MOMENT TRY TO FIND A WAY TO
WITH AND FIND A WAY AGAIN,
MAYBE EVEN USE THE I’M UP FOR
YOURSELF TO COMBAT YOU. SENSE
OF ANXIETY. I THANK YOU SO
MUCH. DOCTOR TRACY ALLOWAY.
THOSE TIPS FOR SELL HEALTH