Question
We thought going to the open house tonight would help, but it didn't seem to - our daughter is anxious about kindergarten. All summer she has vacillated between being a bit nervous and downright scared. Tonight she burst into tears when it was her turn to get her picture taken and clung to me and her dad the rest of the time. She closed her eyes and "rested" on the 20-minute return trip, but by the time we got home, she was complaining of stomach pains, running a 100-degree temperature, and she put herself to bed an hour early.
Thus far we've been very calm and succinct with her about how new things are sometimes scary, but we still have to do our jobs (listening to our teachers, etc.) even if we're nervous, and we've told her about some of the fun activities she'll get to do in kindergarten. Maybe this was the wrong approach because it hasn't seemed to help any, but we're not really sure what else to say or do so that we neither invalidate what she's going through, nor feed into the anxiety. Your input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
