Please help me ! we moved this month to a new school district…

They have been through a great deal. They are probably feeling a great deal of anxiety every day. It is hard for them, especially your youngest to cope.Nonetheless, your daughters' feelings (tantrums) about school are their way of dealing with a problem that is very real to them. They are obviously afraid of the other unfamiliar places and people in a new environment. They may be even afraid of being bullied which has become an ever increasing problem. They may have developed a social anxiety disorder which is present in .1% of children or about 1 in a thousand. The fear of school social situations has provoked anxiety which can turn into panic, crying, and tantrums. The combination of unknown teachers, unknown students, and the school itself can make your daughter(s) so phobic that she(they) refuse(s) to go to school.However, do not allow them stay home from school. The more they are exposed to social situations, the more they will feel less anxious. You may need to discuss the issues with their teachers so that they can assist your daughters with their fears. The teachers can provide a special buddy for your daughters in social situations. Do not be ashamed of reaching out to your daughters' teacher. She can assist with the behavior modification greatly. Additionally if there is a school psychologist, let them know about your daughters' issues and he/she may be able to provide intervention and coping strategies that your daughter can utilize in school social settings.In the meantime, you can help your daughters at home through role playing activities. You act as an unfamiliar student and your daughter acts as herself. Approach your daughters by saying something mean or something friendly like the kids may say to her. Teach her how to respond. Do this several times a week until the responses become almost natural and they are not fearful. They need to be mentally ready to handle any situation. You can arm them with the ways in which they should respond.One positive aspect is that your daughters had many friends before. They will make new friends in time. Children with a serious social anxiety disorder would be very lonely and not have many friends. If anxiety was becoming worse, there would be problems in the classroom as well like fearing to read aloud in class, fearing to speak to adults, fearing to start a conversation, fearing to write on the board in front of the class, fearing to answer questions in class, fearing to work and play with other kids, fearing to ask the teacher for help, and fearing to eat in the cafeteria.Your daughters will be fine. They need a little direction. With the guidance from you and support from teachers and other school personnel, they can get through this stage in their life. Continue to stress the importance of attending school and staying positive. As their parent, you have such a powerful influence over them. Believe in your parenting abilities and believe in your daughters. You both CAN do it. You may also want to seek outside of school counseling to assist the children in dealing with the divorce and your abrupt departureHope this was helpful. Have a wonderful day. If you need more assistance, please feel free to let me know. Take care.