Health expert offers tips on how to support kids with back-to-school emotions

Kids may have many different emotions at the start of the school year. There are things you can do to help reduce any back-to-school anxiety they may have.

"To ask the kids how they feel about school? How are you feeling about the school year starting?" says Tara Brock, a licensed professional counselor with Rockland Behavioral Health Response Team.

Here are a few things Brock recommends doing ahead of the school year:

Have effective communication, ask how they feel and don't put words or thoughts in their head.
Plan time for them to do things they like or something they may look forward to.
Ask them how their school day was, which may be best to do privately without their siblings around.
Lastly, set small attainable goals.

"So again, not putting words or emotions in the child. Letting them express themselves. That validates their feelings, and it can really boost their confidence. They can advocate themselves within the family, within the school environment, and then out there in the real world one day," says Brock.

She says many of these tips also work to alleviate stress parents may have about their child going back to school as well.