CLEVELAND -- Going back to school brings up a lot of emotions for children, and as NewsChannel5's Tonya Strong reported, there are things parents can do to help their kids cope with the sadness, excitement and fear of the first days of the school year.

Dr. Terry Stancin, head of pediatric psychology at MetroHealth Medical Center, says for some children, the symptoms of back-to-school anxiety appear as other problems.

"They might have difficulty falling asleep, or they may complain about worries and it might make them complain of stomach aches, headaches," said Stancin.

Major transitions, such as starting kindergarten, middle school or high school are the biggest challenges, but parents can help children through them by reminding them that they have the power and ability to make good choices.

"So that you are not trying to always fix their problems," said Stancin.

Stancin also says not to let anxiety become an excuse for a child to stay home sick: "Send them to school anyway as long as they don't have any signs of fever or so forth, because you really need to allow the child to face their fear."

Some parents feel that keeping kids active in extracurricular activities also helps ease anxiety, reported Strong.