It can be the most wonderful time of the year but also the most stressful for local students as they are going back to school. 

For many kids, they will be starting kindergarten which can bring some anxieties for children and parents.

Linda O’ Donaghue is an Instructor of Early Learning and Child Care at Bow Valley College and says that parents can do a lot to help limit stress for their kindergartner.

“The calmer they can be, the happier they can be about this new life event, the better for the child because children can feel what the parent feels.”

O’ Donaghue also says that one of the best ways to prepare your kid for the start of a new school is to plan ahead.

“Visit the school, drive by the school so the child can see where they’re going to Kindergarten, meet the teacher before school begins.”

While there will be plenty of excitement to start school, O’ Donaghue says you should limit the interactions with your child’s teacher at the start.

“The teacher is also trying to make sure the children are feeling welcome and comfortable so if they have parents coming at them with a lot of questions, that can be really hard for the teacher to answer these questions fully.”

A final tip for parents from O’ Donaghue is that they read all notifications they’ll receive, especially in the first couple weeks of school.

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