When your child has separation anxiety, daycare drop-off can be miserable for everyone.
Separation anxiety is a completely normal developmental milestone for your child–but that doesn’t make it easy to handle! Sometimes, even parents can experience separation anxiety, especially if their child throws a tantrum at dropoff.
Neither you nor your child wants to experience separation anxiety, so how can you help your child overcome their fears and have an uneventful dropoff? Here are 3 tips that parents find helpful.
Use Visual Images to Represent Time
A contributing factor to separation anxiety is that children don’t understand the passing of time. It is understandably scary to hear “Your mom will be here in two hours” when you have no idea how long two hours are!
Printing out a schedule with bright colors and images can help your child visualize their day. You can even give a copy to your child’s classroom teacher to help them understand time.
Quickly Say Goodbye
Give hugs and kisses, but don’t belabor drop off; it’s not good for you or your child. Then, it’s ok to leave! Your child may cry, but this shouldn’t deter you from leaving. You shouldn’t feel guilty or anxious.
It’s a paternal instinct to comfort our children when they are sad, but returning over and over again will only add to everyone’s frustration. It will take longer for your child to settle down because they think you will return if they just keep crying. Instead, be genuine in your affection, but keep your drop-off short and sweet.
At Bright Start Louisville, our staff is skilled in helping your child quickly acclimate to their classroom and have an excellent day!
Develop a Drop-Off Routine
It’s never too late to develop a special drop-off routine! These can be fun and suit the age and needs of your child.
- A silly handshake
- A sequence of big and little hugs and kisses
- A short song or rhyme
- An affirmation like “I am strong and brave”
It’s also never too early to develop a special drop-off routine! For babies, you can:
- Sing a little song, or do a simple nursery rhyme like “This Little Piggy” or “Pat a Cake”
- Give their security toy a kiss and then hand them the toy
- Play a short tickle game
Conclusion
Remember, separation anxiety is normal and even healthy. It shows your child loves you and feels secure and happy with you.
Separation anxiety is also temporary. The more you and your child practice, the easier drop off will get. Your child will eventually learn that you do return, and you will eventually grow accustomed to temporary separation.
At Bright Start Louisville, our teachers are skilled at helping children gain confidence and independence in their classrooms. They will help your child become comfortable in their new environment, ready to grow and reach new milestones.