Children who are heading back to the classroom this fall are facing unusual challenges, and one of them is anxiety about being separated from their families after months of togetherness. For some kids it will trigger separation anxiety, in addition to the anxiety they may feel about leaving their safe harbor from the pandemic. “Kids are just really used to being home with their parents now,” notes Sania Girdhar, a clinical psychologist. Even kids who had comfortably adjusted to being in school before the pandemic are finding it stressful to be separated now. And, she adds, “there is the added fear that other people are not as safe as we thought they were.” When kids go out now, they’re often reminded not to get too close to other people, to keep their masks on, to use sanitizer, to wash their hands, notes Sania Girdhar. “There’s just anxiety in the air, and I think kids feel that. I think they are wondering: Are we sure it’s safe to go back? And are other people...
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