Welcome to Season 3 of Play On Words from Big City Readers! In this kickoff episode, Miss Beth dives into one of the most common challenges families face each fall: back-to-school anxiety.

If mornings feel chaotic, drop-offs end in tears, or your child worries about school all weekend, this episode is for you. Drawing from her years of working with families, Beth shares practical, playful, and totally doable strategies to ease anxiety and help your child feel confident about school.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• The Power of Routine: Why the same breakfast at the same time can reduce stress.
• Connection Items: How a matching bracelet, heart doodle, or silly ritual helps kids feel close to you all day long.
• Drop-Off Rituals That Work: From synchronized car door slams to secret handshakes, small traditions make big transitions smoother.
• Practice Runs: How Saturday morning school visits (plus donuts!) can transform how your child feels about the building.
• Timing Anxiety Talks: Why Saturday mornings beat Sunday nights for reading “first day of school” books and having big feelings conversations.
• The Hardest Step for Parents: How to keep goodbyes short, sweet, and empowering—without feeding the worry loop.

Why It Matters

Instead of letting anxiety take over, these routines give kids jobs to do, helping them channel nervous energy into action. Parents and children become a team, turning the hardest part of the day into a moment of connection and pride.

✨ This episode isn’t just about managing anxiety—it’s about building confidence, connection, and joy around school routines.

Mentioned in this episode: 

Big Feelings Booklist

Printable Routine

Read about it on the blog