Anxiety may be a common feeling as pupils head back to school across the country - except for Auckland - today, but that's normal, a psychologist says.
File image. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
University of Auckland clinical psychologist Dr Melanie Woodfield told Morning Report anxiety had an important function and that as children went back to school for the first time since alert level 4 kicked in, it was a chance to discuss it.
"A bit of anxiety is really natural and normal and we often hear this notion that some emotions are good and some are bad.
"Anxiety tends to get lumped into the buried category, but actually anxiety is a really important function and purpose. It's sort of our radar for threat or danger.
"It makes a lot of sense that that alarm system ... is tweaked a bit higher for the first few days of school for kids and parents and teachers."
It was an opportunity to talk to children about anxiety, she said.
"One thing that I encourage parents to do is to separate the feeling from any behaviours associated with it, though.
"So what I mean by that is it's perfectly natural and normal to feel stressed or anxious, but it's not OK to hit your brother because of it, and I think that distinction between the feeling and any behaviour associated with it is really important."
"A bit of anxiety is really natural and normal" - clinical psychologist Dr Melanie Woodfield
She was interested to see how mask wearing played out at schools.
Mask wearing may be an example of a "curly question" that might pop up for children in coming days, particularly for those younger, Woodfield said.
"I suspect there's going to be a little bit of dissonance, for example. There might be a friend or a kid at school that they really like who's not wearing a mask and they are - or vice versa - and it might be tough for young kids to figure out why somebody they like is doing something that's wrong or bad.
"I think that's another opportunity for parents to kind of plant some seeds for conversations that are going to be even more prevalent in adolescence, since this notion that someone you like or respect to might do something that you don't like or that you think is wrong or not OK."
As for navigating seeing friends again, Woodfield said today and tomorrow kids, parents and teachers may be awkward and stilted in regards to physical contact.
"That's really normal and I suspect it's all going to settle over the next week or two."
For pupils and families in Auckland, Woodfield said parents should do things that bring them joy.
"Do things that restore your ability to meet your children needs. This is a really tough time."
Wellington College principal Gregor Fountain told Morning Report the first thing the school was trying to as it reopened today was acknowledge the range of feelings among pupils.
"So our plan is to try and balance that wellbeing focus with some routine so we are starting the day with a mihi whakatau ... then we are going to have some shorter periods and finish the day with some tutor time so tutors can connect with their pastoral groups and just get a sense of how everyone is going.
"We will be following all of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education guidelines."
At the end of the day the school would hold an exit survey for students to a sense of the different needs among pupils.