Parenting Articles
Starting School, How to Say Goodbye
Anxiety felt by children as well as by parents is a very natural part of the process of parent/child separation. You can prepare your child for his/her first day by talking about anticipated activities. Plan to stay a few minutes at first until your child is comfortable then tell the teacher when you are ready to leave so she can help if your child is distressed. Please tell your child goodbye before you leave; "sneaking out" will betray trust and lead to more anxiety for the child. Feel free to call to check on your child's adjustment and remember that each day, separating will be easier for you both. A lovely object or pocket size photo is often comforting. Please share any concerns with us; we are here to help you and your child.
We also recommend starting your child part time his/her first 2 days of school. This will help them adjust and meet new friends, but also feel comfort in that you will be there in a few hours to take them home.
If your child is transitioning from one school to another, or even one room to another it helps to tell your child that they are moving on to "Big Boy/Girl" school. Tell them how exciting it will be to meet new friends and new teachers and learn new activities. If your child is transitioning within one of our classrooms, we set up a transition week wherein a staff from the classroom that your child was in goes to the new classroom to help the child feel comfortable and secure in a new environment and build a relationship with the new teachers in that room.