Normalizing Firsts
When your kiddo has ‘a first ‘ coming up (e.g. first day of camp, first day of soccer, first time sleeping in a tent) which will likely bring up uncomfortable feelings, share a story when you felt the same way.
Very nonchalantly.
It may sound something like this,
…”Hey, I was thinking that next week you’re going to that new art class with a bunch of kiddos you don’t know yet. I remember for me, it was a little tricky to get my nerves up to go to a class when I didn’t know anybody in it beforehand. Makes sense though, it’s new and different and we all need time to get used to something before it starts to feel comfortable, huh? Hey, what would you like for snack?”
What this does is it normalizes the feeling for your child, helping them realize they’re not alone in having it, which is typically half of the discomfort.
