How Do You Help A Child Overcome Separation Anxiety?
Children who are not used to being apart from their parents usually suffer from separation anxiety. A common example would be when a child goes to school for the very first time or when a parent goes on prolonged absences, for example, a business trip or divorce. Be honest. Days or weeks prior to a separation, start talking to your child. Explain to your child that the separation will only be temporary and that you will be with your child again. The sooner the child knows, the better, giving the child time to get used to the separation. Oftentimes, parents think that the more they keep the separation a secret, the better it is for the child. Quite the contrary, for the child will be unhappy because it is abrupt. How many times have we seen wailing young children during their first day of school pulling their parent’s hands, begging not to be let go? This would have been lessened if the child had been told way ahead of time so that it would not come as a surprise, and there would be no
