Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator

Worry Before School

“If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?” Confucius

Dear Families,

I remember when I was in primary school and there was a time that I found it challenging to separate from my dad who dropped me off at school. I would stand outside in the line with my class, holding tightly to his leg, crying, and not wanting to let go. I don’t know how long this lasted, but the memory has lasted. That was a tough time for me at that stage in my life.

Some children do find it challenging to get to school in the mornings, while others just walk or ride through the gates, beaming with enthusiasm and confidence. So, how can we help those kids who are worried about school in the mornings? One important thing to do is to acknowledge their worry, rather than dismiss it. Sometimes I find myself saying, “Don’t worry about it” rather than, “It’s okay to worry, as that is a normal emotion.”

Drummond Street Services are offering a free event titled ‘What to do if your child struggles to attend school’ (see flyer below for information and click on it to book). I’ve worked with Julie Yeo and can highly recommend her as a family therapist who will give practical and simple ideas to help families who are finding this part of their day challenging. You may like to access some free webinars that Julie and I created, which can be found here on my website. 

Here are a few fun ideas you might like to do at home to help normalise worrying.

• Make a list of some things that you worry about. Put them in order from most to least worrying. Compare your list to others. 
• How could worrying be helpful? Discuss with the family.
• Together as a family, create a list of all the things that you think are important to worry about. 
• If you were feeling worried and didn’t know what to do, who are some people you trust that you could turn to?
• Think about other people in your family or wider community. What do you think they might worry about? Do you think their worries are different to yours?

“A lot of problems stem from a desire to avoid discomfort. For example, people who fear failure often avoid new challenges in an effort to keep anxiety at bay. Avoiding emotional discomfort, however, is usually a short-term solution that leads to long-term problems.” Amy Morin

Enjoy connecting with your worries this week. 

Andy McNeilly

Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator