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Top parenting stories this week
Help Toddlers Cope with Separation Anxiety
How to avoid tears when you take your child to preschool or daycare
by: Elizabeth Pantley
In This Article
- Ease into the transition to daycare or school
- Encourage friendships through play dates
- Arrive with other families
- Remain calm when your child is anxious
- Make sure you’ve chosen the best situation for your child
- Win: Click here for a chance to win Elizabeth Pantley’s newest book: The No-Cry Separation Anxiety Solution. It offers gentle ways to make good-bye easy from six months to six years.
Separation Anxiety
- If your child is struggling with separation anxiety, try to transition slowly into the daycare or school program an hour at a time.
- Plan play dates: building deeper friendships with other children at the daycare or school can create security for your child.
- Coordinate your trip to school with another family. Having a friend to walk in with can make your child feel more confident.
- Try not to let your own anxiety show during drop off–staying calm and positive will help reassure your child.
eading off to daycare or preschool for the first time is a huge milestone in a child’s life. Some children happily run off to play, but others simply superglue themselves to your leg. If you have a superglue kid, here are some ways to help him loosen his grip so he can enjoy his new experience.
Ease into the transition to daycare or school
For children who suffer from separation anxiety, it can help to move slowly into the new routine. If your child is struggling, see if you can arrange to build up to the daycare or preschool schedule. Begin with a one-hour segment for a day or two, moving to a two-hour segment, and eventually to the full schedule. Regression can happen after a weekend, so it might help to shorten the first day back by a few hours to allow your child to readjust. After a month or two of the new schedule, your child should settle into his new routine.
