Search Results for: blog my separation anxiety

Separation Anxiety

My ex is really good about having our son call and tell me goodnight when it’s his turn to have him every other weekend. He knows of the strong bond my son and I have and also knows that we will both sleep better if we have had a chance to tell each other goodnight first. It’s usually a short call. We talk about the things he did that day; we talk about what he ate for dinner; we talk about how fun it will be to sleep over at Dad’s house that night; but most of all this talk … Continue reading →

Back to School Anxiety & Emotions

Do a Google search on this topic and you’re likely to come across a ton of news stories, blogs, opinions, etc. I thought I better throw my hat into the ring, so my readers would not be left out. The person quoted the most on these various sites is Samuel Gladding, who is a professor at Wake Forest University. He offers 6 tips for helping with back to school anxiety and is summarized by Bradenton.com. The fact that these articles keep popping up on my alerts daily was funny to me, as I think I have more anxiety than my … Continue reading →

Preschool Concerns: Why doesn’t my child want to go back to school?

Preschool concerns are normal when a child resists going to school. You may find yourself wondering if your child is adjusting to this new environment. You may wonder if the teacher is doing her job. You may wonder how the other children are treating your child. When is it normal to resist preschool and when should you look for a deeper problem? How much time do you give before taking action? Is your child simply taking longer to adjust than you expect? Normal separation anxiety: Preschool is a big step for children as for most it is the first time … Continue reading →

Separation Anxiety at Four?

It was the fall of my daughter’s second preschool year. We were all set. We knew what we were doing. We knew the teachers and we loved them too. Aside from some small initial anxiety, at three years old my daughter had sailed into the classroom with excitement, happy to be playing with other children and joyful to see her beloved teacher. It was all good, simply the beginning of another school year. And yet it was not. For three months at the beginning of her second year of preschool, my daughter did not want to go. She loved her … Continue reading →

An Impractical Solution for Separation Anxiety

If you’re a regular reader of the Families.com Pets Blog, you may have noticed that my dog Lally has a bit of a nervous personality. Sometimes, her separation anxiety causes me distress — when I get ready to leave for work, she’ll sit and shake, which makes me feel really bad about having to go out. Both Lally and my other dog, Moose, were really happy when we lived in New Jersey. Not only for the fenced-in yard (though we all loved that feature), but also because my grandmother was good company. She couldn’t drive, so she was almost always … Continue reading →

“Nightmare on My Street”

I’ve written recently about my daughter Regina’s transition to kindergarten and about some extra issues that can come up for adopted children as they enter school. Now there’s a new wrinkle: Regina seems much happier at school and has mostly stopped having toileting troubles and long tantrums. However, now Meg is waking up every night with nightmares. Sometimes she is literally shaking when she wakes up. For her it has been Halloween every night for the past two weeks, it seems. She tries to snuggle into bed with us. One night I said I really wanted her to stay in … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for July 21-27

What did Aimee and I write about during the last full week of July? In case you’re wondering because summer vacation plans kept you away from the computer, here’s the Week in Review recap. Monday, July 21 Just how much does your pet influence your lifestyle? Do you even know? Or are you well aware of their impact? Because of Aimee’s experiences with her own dogs, she learned about inflammatory bowel disease in pets and passed her knowledge on to us. Tuesday, July 22 I explained why I am absolutely loving “The Greatest American Dog!” Apparently Aimee’s become the crazy … Continue reading →

Lally’s Separation Anxiety

My poor little girl dog. Lally is my “Velcro dog” — she’s the one who’s usually at my side. When I’m home, she’s almost always in the room with me. (I’m doing my writing in my office today, and she’s in her spot between the desk and the wall. Meanwhile, Moose is out in the living room, watching the world through the patio door.) My fuzzy baby girl got quite spoiled when we lived with my grandmother — someone was almost always home. It was rare that both my grandmother and I were out of the house for too long. … Continue reading →

Marriage Blogger Desperately Seeking Solace

Over in Pets I wrote about how Murphy met the paramedics yesterday when my mom suffered a stroke during breakfast and I had to call 911. I spent all morning in the ER until they admitted my mom to the hospital, and then I stuck around until they got her situated in a room. Except for when I left for two hours from 4:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to finally get some food (I hadn’t eaten all day) and to feed the fur kids and walk Murph, I was in the hospital from nine to nine. Wayne didn’t have time … Continue reading →

The Anxiety of Growing Up

It can be tempting to think of childhood and the growing up years as being one nonstop romp for our kids. It can also be tempting to imagine that the parent is the one who is anxious and stressed and sad to see that little one grow into adult. The fact is, however, that growing up can be anxiety-producing for kids too. I know firsthand that during some of those major developmental leaps and, especially now that my kids are on the eve of adulthood, there can be a great deal of emotion and anxiety on their part associated with … Continue reading →