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Routine Reset: How parents can prepare kids for their return to work

'We have taught our kids to downplay their need for us.' Dr. Kim Bell talks about what struggles kids might face as we head back to work and school.

CLEVELAND — As businesses and companies open back up, parents will be headed back into work. That means kids will be headed back to full-time care situations and getting used to mom and dad not being home all day. In our "Routine Reset" series, 3News' Maureen Kyle talked to psychologist Dr. Kim Bell about the best ways to transition back and what warning signs show our kids are struggling.

Mom and dad working from home is something kids got used to. But now, parents are headed back to the office and kids are headed to daycare or school and separation anxiety can hit our little ones hard.

Dr. Kim Bell, who is with the Hanna Perkins Center, says younger children know we disappear during the day -- but showing them what we do can help.

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“You can create a book of your day of mom's day, dad's day and it's a picture book of 'here we are getting ready for work, here we are in the car, this is me in my office, this is me having lunch at my desk' and the child can sort of see where you are throughout the day by looking through this book

When it comes to the older kids, pre-teens and teens, Bell says a major concern is teenagers, who may experience extremely varying dynamics in their social groups.

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As people get vaccinated and summer birthday parties, weddings and other larger events open up, there may be some anxiety for the entire family. Here's what Dr. Bell recommends:

  • Sit down together and make a list of what are the things that we've all really missed doing.
  • What are the things that make us the most anxious and talk about making a list.
  • Prioritizing what the family wants to do.

"Just recognize that even a child who's excited to get back out into the world may get out and find themselves with like a little bit of unexpected anxiety.”

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