Helping Your Child Say Goodbye

After spending such special times together, your child may, or may not be prepared to say goodbye to you. Although it is difficult to determine how your child will respond to school drop off initially, ensuring that separation is dealt with in a supportive and respectful way, to both parent and child, is very important to us at Drinkwater. Here are some strategies that I feel will be useful in assisting your child through this transition.

· Routines provide children with a sense of predictability and control so establishing a regular routine while getting ready for school as well as a goodbye routine at school may be helpful.

· It is okay for your child to cry and feel sad – or to express any other emotion that they are feeling. Be assured that I will support your child after your departure.

· Tell your child when you will be back to pick them up. Associate pick up with an action or purpose such as, “When I come to get you, tell me the best thing you did today.”

· Once you have told your child you will be leaving, it is important to follow through, even if your child is crying. Going back to comfort your child will actually make the separation process more difficult.

· A quick goodbye is usually best.

· Remember to say goodbye with a smile. This reassures your child that they are being left in a safe place that you are comfortable with.

I understand that this may be a challenging time for you and your child, and I am here to support you. My aim is to have the separation process go as smoothly as possible. For some children the process takes a little longer, and this too, can be typical, but know that eventually your child will be able to separate more easily.

If you have any questions or concerns please come and speak to me.

A great little picture storybook to tie in with this topic is the Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                      The Kissing Hand

This is a very sweet story about a little raccoon going to school.  His mother comes up with a goodbye routine that helps him confidently run off to school. To check out the story at Youtube.com just click on the picture above or copy and paste the link.

 

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXT1ANWka4A  

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