But returning to school after a sustained period of lockdown may trigger some anxiety for children, according to Associate Professor Catherine Neilsen-Hewett.

The director of Pedagogical Leadership at Early Start and Academic Director of the Early Years at the University of Wollongong, added that for some children, the recent lockdown may not have been such a bad experience.

"Maybe they connected more with their parents who used to work in the office and now stayed at home. But if COVID-19 had resulted in significant disruptions in relationships and home environment, children could have ended up heavily dysregulated," Professor Neilsen-Hewett said.

She added that like adults, children were "change fatigued".

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"Transition is about change and this transition after lockdown is particularly challenging for children because it comes off a backdrop of COVID-related changes," Prof Neilsen-Hewett said.

"I think there is going to be a real period of readjustment for children and I think some of the anxiety that children are experiencing is because they are returning to an environment that looks different.

"There is different expectations, there is shifting rules, there is shifting roles and there is going to be that period of re-engagement particularly for younger children.

"Even for older children there is going to be real moments of vulnerability.

"They are not going to be sure what the situation is going to be like with their friends because they may have lost contact, they may need to re-negotiate social connections and that's a very real fear for children."

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The early education expert urged adults to check-in with children and find out what their concerns are and address these concerns.

"Information is really powerful for children and it can be very comforting when they understand where they are going.

"The other great comfort for children is around relationships. So, if there is that sense of connection with their parents, there is open communication with their teachers, there's support, then that actually reduces any potential risks that may surround this transition back to school," she said.

"There is real fears that children have about their own health and the health of their parents, so it is really around addressing some of those big concerns that they might have, but it is also really around prioritising their wellbeing.

"If children are showing signs of stress or that they are struggling with their emotions, we really need to think about how we can actually support them to make sure that they feel safe and secure and understood."

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