Anika Moa asks Dr Anna for advice after her son starts primary school for the very first time

Anika Moa’s young boy Soren has just started primary school – and like all big life changes, it has been a little stressful.

After noticing some behaviour changes since starting school, Anika asked expert Dr Anna for some advice on how to help her son through it all.

She revealed that it is actually quite normal and common for children to be "hyper-vigilant" to be well-behaved all day at school, and so when they get home – that is when it all comes out, and maybe even regress back to a "toddler-type" childhood attachments.

Dr Anna says the best thing to do if this happens is to show compassion and stay calm as the parent and help your child feel like home is a safe space for them to express themselves fully.

She also noted that can be quite tricky for some parents, who may be stressed themselves after a day of work. Simply taking a moment and taking a few breaths before reacting can make all the difference.

Good luck Anika, and all the Kiwi parents going through the same thing with their kids.

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Dr Anna joins Stace, Mike and Anika fortnightly and gives us all some Drive-Tru Therapy. You can contact Dr Anna through her website dranna.co.nz or via Facebook.