The backpack may be packed, the pencils sharpened, and the lunchbox ready, but a child can still feel completely unprepared for the first day of school. Back to school anxiety can show up as stomachaches, clinginess, irritability, tears at bedtime, big questions, or quiet withdrawal. Some kids say, “I don’t want to go.” Others ask what will happen if they get lost, sit alone, miss the bus, or do not know anyone in class. For parents, the instinct is often to reassure fast. “Y