With the start of a new school year comes anxiety and stress for not only children, but parents as well.
Maria Derubeis, registered social worker, says it's completely normal to feel these emotions and nervousness heading into the school year.
She says things that parents and children can do is ensuring they stick to a routine or schedule outside of school as well.
Derubeis adds that it's important for parents to not put their added anxiety onto the child, and stay busy - especially for the first few days of school starting.
"It's okay if you drop off your child and they're crying. The hand-off is the most difficult time for parents because you're dealing with your own anxiety. And so usually kids are fine, if the teacher can tell you later that your child calmed down, they started to play with other children, you're going to feel a sense of relief."
Derubeis says it's important for parents to stay out of their own heads.
"Don't get engaged in what we call distorted thinking, like catastrophizing that your child is in the classroom bawling their eyes out, and that they're so lonely, because that could just be your own feelings. And I know some parents have a really difficult time letting go of that. So stay a little busy, have perhaps your own schedule especially the first couple of days."
She says it's okay for children to feel that nervousness and stress.
"A lot of parents will prevent their children from having those negative emotions, and they want to take that away from them, and so they may keep their child home from school, and that's the last thing you really want to do. You want to just give the message that uncomfortable feelings are okay, they're not going to last."
Derubeis adds that there are many resources available to help children with stress and anxiety such as social workers at school, the Kids Help Phone, and local therapists as well.
Kids Help Phone says back-to-school is one of its busiest times of the year, with counsellors responding to many calls and texts about anxiety and stress.