Hi, Dana! My 8-year-old daughter began her separation anxiety at the end of kindergarten as well. It was heartbreaking! For us, this behavior came after several sudden deaths in our family - so I think that was the reason. She would cling to us like velcro in the mornings and often became hysterical. 2 things that have gotten us through it:

1. "What to do when you worry too much" by Dawn Huebner. I got this on Amazon when it became apparent that our school counselor wasn't going to be able to help much. This is a workbook and actually give kids specific actions to take when they're upset. It does a GREAT job of explaining what they're feeling. I can't say enough about it - it has gotten us through 3 years of this.

2. Madeline's first grade teacher was amazing. He kept a big bag in his classroom and when Madeline got there in the mornings, he would tell her to put all her worries in the bag because they were probably too heavy for her. He told her that he would carry them for her all day and then she could have them back when it was time to go home, if she wanted them. Brilliant!

Best of luck. My heart goes out to you. I promise, it does get better! This is something that we still deal with on occasion, but it's MUCH less severe now that she is older and can be more logical.

Stanci
Kansas City, MO