Q: What can we do to make the first day of school easier for our child?

A: Purchasing all the supplies on your child's stationery supply list is a start, but there are more important things you can do to help prepare your child for the first day of school. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, normalizing any anxiety about starting school is a good idea. This reassures her that any feelings of concern or worry about starting school are normal.

Teachers are well aware that the first days of school are exciting and can be challenging for everyone. The teachers are generally rested up and have many strategies to help ease the tension and deal with the high energy level.

It's also helpful to remind your child about previous "first days" that turned out fine. Your child might do better if you can refresh his memory about last year, or another experience when he was anxious, and it turned out fine.
You might also consider driving your child to and from school the first day, or finding another child in the neighborhood with whom he can walk to/from school. If there's no school bus available, consider the environment and get into a carpool. These can be fantastic because the children won't walk into school alone.

Drs. Paul and Daphne Horowitz have opened Discovery Pediatrics, Inc, a unique pediatrics practice in Valencia 259-8999.