Do You Have the Back-to-School Blues?

While many parents can hardly contain their excitement that a new school year is starting, some moms and dads aren’t totally thrilled that the bus will soon show up to take their kid away for the day.    

"There's a whole range of emotions," Columbia, Mo., psychologist specializing in family and child development, Deanna Pledge told MSNBC.com. Some stay-at-home parents may miss the relaxed schedule and the company they’ve had all summer long. Parents also may not like the possibility of teachers filling role model positions that they have always held.

PLUS: De-Stress Your Morning Routine

Staring kindergarten can be especially hard on a parent.  Pledge explains, “Once they go to school, the child is embarking on a life of his or her own. It's really the beginning of that process when children begin to see their parents as people, warts and all.”

Dominique Anderson told MSNBC that she’s not too happy that her only daughter’s first day of school is approaching. "I'm probably going to be a little bit of a crybaby about it," she said. "My husband and I can't pick her up and take her to the zoo or to lunch.  She's growing up and it's going to be sad... I'll probably be that mommy in the bushes looking in the window until lunch."

If you’re suffering from a case of the back-to-school blues, don’t fret.  Pledge says the key to dealing with newfound separation anxiety is to put the focus back on you.  That doesn’t sound so bad.

PLUS: 16 Ways to Prep For School Separation Anxiety

Are you feeling blue about school starting or can the first day of school not come soon enough?  Leave a comment.