3 Best Books to Help Children with Back-to-School Anxiety

In our last blog post, we discussed how some children experience separation anxiety when returning to school. Separation anxiety is when children experience excessive fear and worry when separated from an attachment figure. Back-to-school can be a big trigger for some children with separation anxiety, so what can we do to help prepare our kids for this big transition? 

Here’s where picture books can be a parent’s best friend. Books about returning to school can be a valuable tool for helping children process and manage their anxiety. These stories often feature relatable characters and scenarios that mirror the experiences children might be feeling as they head back to school. 

By engaging with these narratives, kids can gain a new perspective of the school environment and start to see it in a more positive light. They can also listen as characters they connect with learn to navigate similar back-to-school challenges. Books also allow children to gain a better understanding of their own feelings while offering practical strategies for coping with big emotions. Additionally, they provide a safe space for children to explore their worries and discuss their feelings with caregivers. 

Through the comforting and relatable messages found in these stories, children can feel supported as they face the back-to-school transition.

What are some good back-to-school books you might ask? Here’s our list of the 3 best books to help kids navigate school anxiety. 

Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney 

In this story, young Llama Llama starts preschool. He feels anxious and misses his mama as he encounters new experiences and routines. With the support of his teacher and new friends, Llama Llama gradually becomes comfortable with being away from his mama. He learns that it’s okay to feel nervous and he can still have fun and make new friends. 

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst 

The story follows two siblings, Liza and Jeremy, who are feeling anxious about being apart from their loved ones. Their mother reassures them by explaining the concept of an "invisible string" that connects people who love each other, no matter how far apart they are. This book provides a reassuring message to children that they are always connected to those they care about, even when they are not together.

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

This heartwarming children's book is about a young raccoon named Chester who is anxious about starting school and being away from his mother. To comfort him, Chester's mother shares a special family tradition: she kisses Chester's hand and tells him that whenever he feels lonely or scared, he can press his hand to his cheek and feel her kiss.

Back-to-School Activities At-Home

These books present creative strategies that caregivers can use with their own children at home. Characters, such as Chester in the “Kissing Hand,” use imaginative tools to manage their fears, providing young readers with coping skills they can use for their own back-to-school transition. For example, parents can create a “token of love” with an image of “a kiss on a hand” for their child to keep in their pocket at school. This can serve as a reminder that the connection with their caregiver follows them to school, even when they are apart.

Any other back-to-school books you love to read with your child? Or any coping skills your child likes to use when feeling nervous about returning to school? Let us know in a comment below.

If your child is having severe anxiety about returning to school, it might be time to get some extra support. Calm Mind Therapy in Ardmore, PA provides mental health counseling services to children and their parents for separation anxiety and school stress. We’d love to support your family through the back-to-school transition.

Written by Emily Earley, LCSW and Therapist at Calm Mind Therapy

****

Calm Mind Therapy is a boutique mental health practice located in Ardmore, PA, specializing in the care of children, adolescents, and adults. Our mission is to provide the Main Line with high-quality mental health services for all ages. Our goal is to help our clients achieve emotional well-being and build a life worth living. Serving clients in Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Wynnewood, Narberth, Radnor, Lower Merion, Haverford, Villanova, Swarthmore, Devon, Berwyn, Malvern, Bala Cynwyd, and more.